*Note: This was in 1999 before molecular gastronomy took over the country and El Bulli was just beginning to change haute cusine. In any case I would not have been able to dine in those restaurants on my backpackers budget.
However, despite the disillusionment I suffered in Spain, I was still entranced by the dish. Once I returned to the States, I sought it out on Spanish or I should say faux Spanish menus whenever it appeared. Most the versions I tasted were similar to what I experienced in Spain. Lackluster dishes that were not truly Paella and more like Arroz con whatever. Some were liquidity concoctions that more resembled bouilabasse than Paella and other were parched deserts of bland rice and overcooked seafood. Even the few good ones like the very impressive lobster Paella that I had at Jose Andres' Jaleo in Washington DC were not satisfying that craving for that imaginary Paella that appeared in the my monstrous tome of all Spanish gastronomy, Culinaria Spain. That all changed the day my wife surprised me with a Paella pan from Spanish Table in Mill Valley.
However, despite the disillusionment I suffered in Spain, I was still entranced by the dish. Once I returned to the States, I sought it out on Spanish or I should say faux Spanish menus whenever it appeared. Most the versions I tasted were similar to what I experienced in Spain. Lackluster dishes that were not truly Paella and more like Arroz con whatever. Some were liquidity concoctions that more resembled bouilabasse than Paella and other were parched deserts of bland rice and overcooked seafood. Even the few good ones like the very impressive lobster Paella that I had at Jose Andres' Jaleo in Washington DC were not satisfying that craving for that imaginary Paella that appeared in the my monstrous tome of all Spanish gastronomy, Culinaria Spain. That all changed the day my wife surprised me with a Paella pan from Spanish Table in Mill Valley.
Tired of always looking for Paella, my wife decided it was time for me to take the next step and actually make the dish at home. Now with a brand spanking new 18"carbon steel pan, I had no excuses. My first few attempts where fairly disastrous. The Paella was either soupy from too much broth or overly greasy from my addition of chorizo to the mix. After awhile I learned how to master the stock to rice ratio to ensure that I didn't get a soggy Paella and to use a cured Spanish style chorizo to limit the amount of residual grease. More confident in my abilities to make a serviceable version, I began making Paella for Spanish themed dinner parties complete with the requite Sangria. The Paella was a hit and my friends began requesting it when they came over. However, I was now essentially making the same Paella repeatedly . Once, I posted a picture of my one Paellas on Facebook and a friend (being an ass) responded with a picture of a seafood studded Paella filled to the brim with langoustines, clams, and mussels. That was the paella that I wanted to make but never had the time or resources to construct.
Stuck in a Paella rut, I had almost given up on the dish. However, I noticed at Uwajimaya ,our local Seattle Japanese grocery store, that head-on North American Prawns(CT-10) were on sale for $10.99 a pound. Looking at these magnificent sea monsters, I knew that I had one of my ingredients for a special seafood Paella. I decided to compliment the shrimp with a much cheaper ingredient, squid. At $1.99 a pound, squid is the cheapest(and sustainable) seafood option out there. Now the traditional way of adding squid(calamari) to Paella is to cut it into rings, but where's the excitement in that. Looking for a bolder flavor and a spectacular presentation, I decided to stuff the squid tubes with chorizo-a classic tapas dish on its own. I picked up some spicy fresh chroizo ($3.29 a pound) from my local Mexican grocer and began the grueling process of cleaning the squid and then stuffing the chorizo/pea mixture into the freshly cleaned calamari tubes. I completed this process the night before to give me more time to focus on the main event the next day.
Scrounging around my kitchen the next day, I managed to pull together the ingredients for the Paella only by making several modifications that any self respecting Valencian would find appalling. First off, I did not have enough risotto rice to complete the dish, so I found another almost empty bag of rice from Valencia and combined the two. I would never recommend doing this and only utilizing one type of rice preferably Bomba or an Italian risotto rice as different varieties absorb varying amounts of liquid and the cooking times can fluctuate. For my second transgression, I used chicken stock instead of seafood stock for the Paella. This was just a matter of laziness as I had no desire to craft a seafood stock out of shrimp shells. Besides I prefer a Paella that has elements of seafood in it but is not overwhelmed by those flavors. Finally the greatest heresy of all, I utilized Sazon instead of saffron to flavor the stock and add that distinctive yellow color to the dish. I like to think that this was a bold flight of whimsy that a fellow iconoclast like Ferran Adria would approve of. Much like Adria utilized potato chips to create a spanish tortilla, I was utilizing saffron's fast food equivalent to create my Paella.
I started the Paella by cooking the stuffed squid in the center of the pan and then moving them to the side once it was time to add my sofrito. For the sofrito, I simply utilized a combination of grated tomatoes, minced garlic and sweet paprika. Once the sofrito reduced to an aromatic jam, I added my rice mixture evenly across the pan to ensure proper cooking. Once the rice toasted slightly, I arranged the head-on prawns with their lower shells removed along with the cooked squid tubes in a circle pointing inward towards the center of the pan. After letting the seafood settle into the rice for a moment, I ladeled on about half of the stock. I turned the paella repeatedly across two gas burners to ensure even cooking of the dish. I then added the remaining stock and allowed that to absorb in the rice. It took about 15 minutes for the rice to cook. Once cooked, I added some chopped cilantro to brighten up the dish and introduce a herbal element that would be missing without the saffron. Finally I covered the whole pan in tinfoil and let sit for 45 minutes so the flavors could meld together.
After removing the tin foil, I was treated to a beautiful pan of Paella. The giant prawns added that exotic Spanish travel guide feel to the Paella that had been lacking before. The Sazon imparted a brilliant yellow hue onto the rice. The only thing that I would change would be to keep the tentacles for the squid and place them at the top of the stuffed tubes. Without the tentacles, the squid tubes closely resembled leeches or some other unappetizing parasite. You want your guests to feel like they are eating an exotic Paella at an imaginary Spanish coastal cafe not bugs in a jungle with Andrew Zimmern. Appearances aside, the Paella was fantastic. The rice was cooked perfectly despites its mixed heritage. The chorizo from the squid added a smoky spiciness to the dish while the shrimp heads imparted a taste of the sea to the rice. While I could tell that the floral flavor of the saffron was missing, it did not hinder the dish. All of the seafood was cooked perfectly with the squid being exceptionally tender thanks to the fat in its chorizo stuffing. The heads came easily off of the shrimp thanks to the advanced deshelling which made for easier eating.
I finally had my (near) perfect Paella. Of course I will keep tinkering with this recipe to see how I can improve it. But this makes a pretty good Paella template. Please see the recipe below:
Paella Winneria
Ingredients:
8 cloves of garlic crushed
2 large tomatoes grated(discard skins)
1 tablespoon of mild(not smoked) paprika
1 packet of Goya Sazon (available at any Latin American Grocery Store)
5 cups of chicken stock
10 cleaned squid tubes
10 squid tentacles
1 lb of fresh unsmoked chorizo
6 Head on Prawns (10-12 CT) with shells removed from tails
1/2 Cup of Peas
2 Cups of Uncooked Risotto Rice
2 Tsp of Olive Oil
1. Mix the chorizo and peas together and stuff into the squid tubes. You can make these up to 24 hours in
advance. Cover on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in another pot. Once the stock comes to a simmer add the packet of
sazon to broth. Leave at simmer for future use.
2. Heat oil in a large Paella pan (18" or larger) over a power gas burner(or a specialty Paella grill if you went
all out) or an 18" pan.
3. Brown the squid tubes in the center of the pan about 3 minutes a side. Move the browned tubes to the
outside of the pan.
4. Put the tomato, garlic and paprika mixture in the center of the pan. Reduce the mixture until it turns into a
jam.
5. Mix the rice into the tomato mixture and spread across the pan evenly. Turn on the second burner and
place the pan in-between the two burners. Allow the rice to toast for 2-3 minutes.
6. Arrange the shrimp and the squid tubes in the rice. Place the tentacles in front of the squid tubes for a
better presentation.
7. Pour half of the stock over the rice and seafood. Rotate the pan every two or three minutes so that the
rice cooks evenly
8. Once the stock is absorbed into the rice, add an additional ladel of broth to the pan. Continue until the
rice reaches a perfect al dente texture.
9. Turn the heat off and add any other optional garnishes like parsley or roasted bell peppers.
10. Tent the entire pan with tinfoil and let the Paella sit for an additional 45 minutes. This will allow the
flavors to meld better.
.jpg) |
| A standard Ian Paella with Shrimp, Chrozio, and Chicken |
Stuck in a Paella rut, I had almost given up on the dish. However, I noticed at Uwajimaya ,our local Seattle Japanese grocery store, that head-on North American Prawns(CT-10) were on sale for $10.99 a pound. Looking at these magnificent sea monsters, I knew that I had one of my ingredients for a special seafood Paella. I decided to compliment the shrimp with a much cheaper ingredient, squid. At $1.99 a pound, squid is the cheapest(and sustainable) seafood option out there. Now the traditional way of adding squid(calamari) to Paella is to cut it into rings, but where's the excitement in that. Looking for a bolder flavor and a spectacular presentation, I decided to stuff the squid tubes with chorizo-a classic tapas dish on its own. I picked up some spicy fresh chroizo ($3.29 a pound) from my local Mexican grocer and began the grueling process of cleaning the squid and then stuffing the chorizo/pea mixture into the freshly cleaned calamari tubes. I completed this process the night before to give me more time to focus on the main event the next day.
 |
| Lazy Paella...not a real Paella pan and not the right rice. This is what you can expect to find in touristy Paella restaurants in Spain... Arroz con Crapo |
Scrounging around my kitchen the next day, I managed to pull together the ingredients for the Paella only by making several modifications that any self respecting Valencian would find appalling. First off, I did not have enough risotto rice to complete the dish, so I found another almost empty bag of rice from Valencia and combined the two. I would never recommend doing this and only utilizing one type of rice preferably Bomba or an Italian risotto rice as different varieties absorb varying amounts of liquid and the cooking times can fluctuate. For my second transgression, I used chicken stock instead of seafood stock for the Paella. This was just a matter of laziness as I had no desire to craft a seafood stock out of shrimp shells. Besides I prefer a Paella that has elements of seafood in it but is not overwhelmed by those flavors. Finally the greatest heresy of all, I utilized Sazon instead of saffron to flavor the stock and add that distinctive yellow color to the dish. I like to think that this was a bold flight of whimsy that a fellow iconoclast like Ferran Adria would approve of. Much like Adria utilized potato chips to create a spanish tortilla, I was utilizing saffron's fast food equivalent to create my Paella.
 |
| Now this is an exciting Paella...just make sure to add the tentacles to the dish. |
I started the Paella by cooking the stuffed squid in the center of the pan and then moving them to the side once it was time to add my sofrito. For the sofrito, I simply utilized a combination of grated tomatoes, minced garlic and sweet paprika. Once the sofrito reduced to an aromatic jam, I added my rice mixture evenly across the pan to ensure proper cooking. Once the rice toasted slightly, I arranged the head-on prawns with their lower shells removed along with the cooked squid tubes in a circle pointing inward towards the center of the pan. After letting the seafood settle into the rice for a moment, I ladeled on about half of the stock. I turned the paella repeatedly across two gas burners to ensure even cooking of the dish. I then added the remaining stock and allowed that to absorb in the rice. It took about 15 minutes for the rice to cook. Once cooked, I added some chopped cilantro to brighten up the dish and introduce a herbal element that would be missing without the saffron. Finally I covered the whole pan in tinfoil and let sit for 45 minutes so the flavors could meld together.
After removing the tin foil, I was treated to a beautiful pan of Paella. The giant prawns added that exotic Spanish travel guide feel to the Paella that had been lacking before. The Sazon imparted a brilliant yellow hue onto the rice. The only thing that I would change would be to keep the tentacles for the squid and place them at the top of the stuffed tubes. Without the tentacles, the squid tubes closely resembled leeches or some other unappetizing parasite. You want your guests to feel like they are eating an exotic Paella at an imaginary Spanish coastal cafe not bugs in a jungle with Andrew Zimmern. Appearances aside, the Paella was fantastic. The rice was cooked perfectly despites its mixed heritage. The chorizo from the squid added a smoky spiciness to the dish while the shrimp heads imparted a taste of the sea to the rice. While I could tell that the floral flavor of the saffron was missing, it did not hinder the dish. All of the seafood was cooked perfectly with the squid being exceptionally tender thanks to the fat in its chorizo stuffing. The heads came easily off of the shrimp thanks to the advanced deshelling which made for easier eating.
I finally had my (near) perfect Paella. Of course I will keep tinkering with this recipe to see how I can improve it. But this makes a pretty good Paella template. Please see the recipe below:
Paella Winneria
Ingredients:
8 cloves of garlic crushed
2 large tomatoes grated(discard skins)
1 tablespoon of mild(not smoked) paprika
1 packet of Goya Sazon (available at any Latin American Grocery Store)
5 cups of chicken stock
10 cleaned squid tubes
10 squid tentacles
1 lb of fresh unsmoked chorizo
6 Head on Prawns (10-12 CT) with shells removed from tails
1/2 Cup of Peas
2 Cups of Uncooked Risotto Rice
2 Tsp of Olive Oil
1. Mix the chorizo and peas together and stuff into the squid tubes. You can make these up to 24 hours in
advance. Cover on a plate and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in another pot. Once the stock comes to a simmer add the packet of
sazon to broth. Leave at simmer for future use.
2. Heat oil in a large Paella pan (18" or larger) over a power gas burner(or a specialty Paella grill if you went
all out) or an 18" pan.
3. Brown the squid tubes in the center of the pan about 3 minutes a side. Move the browned tubes to the
outside of the pan.
4. Put the tomato, garlic and paprika mixture in the center of the pan. Reduce the mixture until it turns into a
jam.
5. Mix the rice into the tomato mixture and spread across the pan evenly. Turn on the second burner and
place the pan in-between the two burners. Allow the rice to toast for 2-3 minutes.
6. Arrange the shrimp and the squid tubes in the rice. Place the tentacles in front of the squid tubes for a
better presentation.
7. Pour half of the stock over the rice and seafood. Rotate the pan every two or three minutes so that the
rice cooks evenly
8. Once the stock is absorbed into the rice, add an additional ladel of broth to the pan. Continue until the
rice reaches a perfect al dente texture.
9. Turn the heat off and add any other optional garnishes like parsley or roasted bell peppers.
10. Tent the entire pan with tinfoil and let the Paella sit for an additional 45 minutes. This will allow the
flavors to meld better.
