Travel with Julie

Paella A La Valenciana

My first accomplishment with this dish was learning to pronounce it correctly -- pah-ehl-ya. Americans commonly use the Mexican pronunciation, pie-ay-ya.  My second accomplishment was learning to make the regional dish of Spain.

Paella originated in Valencia, on the east coast of Spain.  There are many variations of this dish to include seafood, meat and vegetable paella.  Whereas, the three essential ingredients in all of them are olive oil, saffron and rice.

Paella is all about the rice, and a simple white rice will not do.  The absolute best paella rice is the short-grain calasparra, grown in southeastern Spain.  And, don't forget the pan.  Although paella can be made in a wide skillet, it is traditionally made in thin steel dimpled pans designed to evenly spread the heat.

For me, paella is the ultimate party dish -- a one-dish entree set up on a buffet or in the middle of a dining table.  I usually make a version of the following recipe depending on my guests' preferences and availability of ingredients:

 

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp saffron

1/4 tsp smoke Spanish paprika

1 small onion (whole, peeled)

Chicken or rabbit (I use 8 skinless chicken thighs or 1 whole rabbit)

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 lb chorizo (cut in 1/4" slices)

1/4 lb serrano ham (diced)

1 medium onion (diced)

4 tbsp chopped garlic

2 roasted piquillo peppers

1 lb shrimp (shelled)

3 cups Calasparra rice

5 tbsp chopped parsley

2 bay leaves (crumbled)

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 lb frozen peas

18 clams or mussels (scrubbed)

 

PREPARATION: 

Heat the broth with the saffron, paprika and whole onion.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the onion.

Cut the chicken or rabbit into small bite sizes.  Dry and sprinkle with salt.

In a paella pan, heat the oil. Add the chicken/rabbit and fry over high heat until golden.  Remove to a platter. Add the chorizo and ham to the pan and fry for about 10 minutes.  Add the chopped onion, garlic and piquillo peppers and saute until onion is cooked. Add the shrimp, saute for about 3 minutes more or until they barely turn pink. Remove the shrimp to the platter with chicken/rabbit.

Add the rice to the pan and stir until it is well coated with oil.  Sprinkle in the chopped parsley and bay leaves.

Stir in the hot chicken broth, the wine, rice and peas.  Salt to taste.  Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, over medium high heat for about 10 minutes.  Bury the shrimp and chicken/rabbit into the rice.  Add the clams/mussels, pushing them into the rice with the mouths facing up.  Bake at 325 F, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

NOTE:  I find that my pan often dries out in the oven before the rice has had a chance to fully cook.  If this happens, just add a little more chicken broth to the pan.

When rice is tender, remove from the oven and let sit on top of the stove, lightly covered with foil, for about 10 minutes.  Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

For authentic Spanish paella ingredients and cooking pans, check out:

 

Have you had a to-die-for paella you'd like to share? I'd love to hear about it!

Sangria -- Spain's Wine Punch

They say (and I'm still cloudy on who "they" are), that sangria is the preferred summer drink of Spaniards.  I say, summer schmummer!  Sangria is great to drink anytime in Spain!

Sangria is a fruit-based wine punch.  It is typically made with red wine, fresh fruit and bubbly water or soda and served chilled or over ice.  And although Spain is the declared creator of sangria, the beverage has been accepted and adapted all over the globe.

In Spain, sangria is considered a good-value drink, mainly because a variety of different wines can be used in the recipe.  No one sangria is alike.  Often, restaurants use bottles of wine that were not finished the day before to make that day's batch of sangria.  Because the recipes vary, the alcohol content may vary . . . so be warned!

When I'm in Spain, I enjoy a pitcher of sangria every day with a tapas lunch, and again during an afternoon break. I find it refreshing and delicious!  When I am home and craving a little Spanish flare, I whip up my own version of the fruity drink. Try it!  It's so easy.

And, for a more festive affair, try my sparkling sangria.  My guests are always wagging their tongues for more!

CLASSIC SANGRIA

1 lemon, sliced thinly

1 lime, sliced thinly

1 orange, sliced thinly

1 cup blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

8 oz. triple sec

8 oz. brandy

8 oz. fresh orange juice

1 bottle medium-bodied, dry red wine

Place the fruit in a large pitcher.  Sprinkle the sugar on top and stir.  Add the triple sec and brandy, stir.  Add the orange juice and wine, stir.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Serve over ice cubes in glass tumblers.

 

SPARKLING SANGRIA

1 orange, sliced thinly

1 lime, sliced thinly

1 cup raspberries, and extra for serving glasses (you may freeze them to act as ice cubes)

1 cup brandy, chilled

1/2 cup triple sec, chilled

2 bottles sparkling wine or cava, chilled

Place the fruit in a large pitcher.  Sprinkle the sugar on top and stir.  Add the brandy and triple sec, stir.  Minutes before your guests arrive, add the sparkling wine, stir gently.  Chill.  Add two raspberries to champagne flutes. Pour sangria into flutes and serve.

A Little Taste Of Spain: Caldo Gallego

Once again, planning a trip influenced my dinner menu.  I spent the day reading about places I plan to visit in Spain this October--flavors and aromas seemed to waft from the pages of my travel book!  Unfortunately, my repertoire of Spanish recipes is limited.  So, I stuck with what I knew:  Caldo Gallego, a restorative soup of Galicia. Here's how I made it:

 

1/2 lb. pancetta, diced 1 can white beans, drained

1 onion, diced 1 baking potato, diced

1/2 lb. chorizo, diced 1 bunch Kale, stems removed & chopped

Chicken stock Water

In a large pot, cook the pancetta until the fat is rendered. Add the chorizo.  (NOTE:  Most recipes call for hard sausage, but I only had the soft version available.  I removed the casings and crumbled the sausage on top of the pancetta.) When the sausage has almost cooked thoroughly, add the onion.  Next, add the potatoes and beans.  Let it cook for a few minutes to marry the flavors. Add the kale and 2 cups of chicken stock.  Be sure to scrape up all the goodies from the bottom of the pan.  Add enough water to cover the ingredients.  Cover and simmer for up to 2 hours or until the vegetables are soft, adding more chicken stock or water as needed.

True Spanish Caldo Gallego calls for Unto (cured pork belly) in lieu of pancetta. However, it doesn't seem to exist anywhere except in Galicia.  Additionally, most Spaniards use turnip greens in this soup, but I find kale works just as well.

Caldo Gallego is a hearty soup, probably better served in winter.  To lighten it up, I took to another Spanish tradition: grilling.  Tossing a few vegetables and shrimp with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and placing them on a hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side made for a fantastic compliment!

 

Mejillones Con Chorizo (Mussels With Sausage)

Today, I was dreaming of Spain.  Well, I was really dreaming about Spanish food.  So tonight's dinner is mussels with chorizo sausage in a spicy tomato broth. Here's how I make it:

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1/4 lb serrano ham or prosciutto, diced

1/4 lb chorizo, casings removed and crumbled

1 cup dry white wine

1 can diced tomatoes

3 lbs mussels, scrubbed (discard any that will not close)

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

black pepper

In a large saute pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute until tender.  Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, ham, sausage.  Saute until the sausage is browned.  Add the wine and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add the mussels.  Cover and cook until the mussels open (3-5 minutes).  Spoon mussels and broth into serving bowls (discard any that did not open).  Sprinkle with black pepper and parsley. Serve immediately with toasted country bread.

Serves 4 appetizer portions or 2 entree portions.