Paella Valenciana
By Chef John Folse
PREP TIME: 1 ½ Hours
SERVES: 8
COMMENT:
![[Chef John Folse]](bb_tastebnr4.jpg)
JOHN
FOLSE For more info on Chef
John Folse
Paella, the ambassador for Valencia, Spain,
is considered the national dish of the country. Although there are
many variations, this is the traditional recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1 fryer chicken
1 small rabbit
½ cup olive oil
1 pound chorizo
2 cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup red bell
pepper, diced
¼ cup garlic, sliced
2 cups tomatoes,
diced
1 cup sweet peas
10 cups chicken stock
or water
1 tbsp saffron
threads
3 cups aborio rice
salt and pepper to
taste
2 dozen black mussels
2 dozen large shrimp
(21-25 count), head on (optional)
16 snow peas
METHOD:
Hopefully you will have a round 14 to16-inch paella
pan, or 14-inch cast iron skillet. If not, feel free to improvise.
Cut the chicken and rabbit into 8-10 pieces, cutting the breast of the
chicken and large back legs of the rabbit in half. Chorizo may be found
at any Spanish or Mexican food market. If unavailable in your area,
feel free to use fresh pork sausage in its place. If using fresh pork,
sprinkle one tsp of paprika into the pan when frying the sausage.
Remove 1 cup of the stock, add the saffron and allow it to sit for later
use. Place the paella pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil and
season chicken and rabbit with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the pan
and brown until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add sausage
to the pan and continue to cook until slightly browned and cooked to
medium-well. Remove along with the other meat. In the same pan, add
onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes or until
vegetables are wilted. Add tomatoes and continue to sauté 2 additional
minutes. Add rice and stir-fry into the vegetables for 3-5 minutes.
Add the 1-cup of stock with saffron and all remaining stock. Season to
taste using salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pan and bring to a
low simmer, stirring constantly. As you stir, the rice will absorb the
liquid. At this point, distribute the meat and sausage evenly around
the dish and top with the sweet peas, mussels, shrimp and snow peas.
Cover tightly with foil and place on a low-heat setting, or bake in a
preheated 350 degrees F oven for approximately 30-40 minutes. Serve
immediately.
Seafood Paella
PREP TIME: 2 Hours
SERVES: 12
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COMMENT:
Crawfish tails and shrimp can be used by heart-conscious chefs.
They are higher in cholesterol than most meats and seafood, yet
are low in fat content, especially low in saturated fat;
therefore, they do not affect your blood cholesterol level as
much when eaten in moderate portions.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup (170-190 count) shrimp, peeled and de-veined.
- 1 cup crawfish tails, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup lump crabmeat
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 1 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 tbsp diced garlic
- 1 cup diced tomato
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/3 cup diced andouille sausage
- 4 ½ cups seafood stock or clam juice
- 3 cups raw rice
- salt, cracked black pepper and red pepper to taste
- 2 tbsps minced fresh parsley
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 ½ tsps chili powder
- ½ cup sliced green onions
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a vegetable oil cooking
spray, spray a paella pan or other oven-proof baking dish. Heat
olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, bell
pepper, garlic and tomatoes. Sauté until vegetables are wilted,
approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Add frozen peas and blend well. In
a separate non-stick skillet, sauté andouille until light brown,
3 to 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels and blot off surface fat.
Return sausage to paella pan, add seafood stock, bring to a
rolling boil and reduce to simmer. Add rice and season to taste
using salt and pepper. Blend in parsley, cumin, chili powder,
green onions, shrimp, crawfish and crabmeat. Cover pan with
aluminum foil and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven,
stir and allow to set 30 minutes before serving. The seafood
stock may be made by simmering the shrimp and crab peelings and
the lightly rinsed crawfish peelings for 20 minutes or more.
Strain and discard the peelings, chill and skim off any fat.
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