Paella Party on the Deck

So I have a new "secret" fantasy... I am going to become "Gabe, the Paella Guy".  Yes, you heard it here, I am going to go from being a one-trick-bacon-pony to a one-trick-paella-pony.  Cause, Paella is more fun than bacon.  I mean really, bacon touches more of a nerve and has semi-orgasmic properties but Paella is very cool and really brings people together.  Case in point:

A week or so ago, I was invited to help a dear friend have a Paella party for 50 people for his birthday.  Alan has done this every year for 3 years now, but this year he decided/was told that he needed to spend more time with the guests.  A party for 50 in your home is not an insignificant amount of work, not counting the food.

I love Paella.  We used to do it all the time at CC and also as an in home class.  Usually I would do it with several different Tapas options to start, we would drink Sangria and we would all pitch in.  One time we had one in Provence with one of the groups and it was awesome, all though they put white beans in it (coco beans) which was odd.  (They just had to be all French on it!).  Still it was great.

There is something about tending the paella that also gets everybody pumped.  It is really actually quite boring, you don't even stir the damn thing.  But it inspires people to gather around and offer opinions and swap stories and lies and drink wine.  Perfect, yes?

Alan's brick oven

So, at Alan's I was in charge of doing all of the prep for the dinner, plus actually cooking it.  We also added on a mustard crusted prime rib done in the wood fired oven... just cause. Alan traditionally uses a recipe from Bobby Flay, but he said I didn't have to follow it. Which was good, because anyone who knows me, knows I am not much of a recipe follower.

Here is the vaguest approximation of the recipe I did do: Then below are pics and variations.

Gabe's Classic Paella serves 10

sofrito

2 # Chicken, cut in small pieces                             1# onion chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced                                           4 T Olive oil     

1 ea red, green pepper, small dice                          1 T paprika

Broth

6 C hot chicken stock                                             large pinch saffron

1 T Kosher salt

Rice                                                                                                          

2 C Spanish rice (Bomba)                                       8 oz tomato concassé

8 oz Chorizo, thinly sliced                                      1 sprig rosemary

Seafood garnish

20 clams, cleaned                                                  20 ea mussels, cleaned

20 shrimp, peeled, deveined                                 4 oz garden peas

Kosher salt and pepper to taste                            ¼ C sliced scallions

                                         

Heat Broth: Heat the chicken stock up with the saffron and the salt.  The broth should be very well flavored.  Keep hot.

browning the chicken

Make sofrito: Sauté the Chicken pieces in the olive oil until nicely browned.  Add the garlic, onions, peppers, and paprika.  Sauté for about 5 minutes.

parching the rice

Parch the rice: Add the rice and a pinch of salt.  Stir until the rice is well coated with oil.   Sauté 2 minutes to parch. 

Add liquid: Add the tomatoes, stock, chorizo, and rosemary.  Cover and bring to a boil for 8-10 minutes. 

adding the liquid

Garnish and simmer: Add the seafood and peas to the top of the rice.  Do not stir.  Cover and turn down heat and simmer 10 minutes or until rice is tender, seafood is cooked, and liquid is absorbed.  Keep covered and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  Garnish with scallions and lemon wedges.  Serve

Kitchen Notes: 

So the nice part was we were doing it up sexy-tempo for this party.  Alan got 2 live Maine lobsters, live spots, wild caught gulf prawns, clams, squid, halibut, chicken, chorizo, and andouille.  


First things first: Good Stock: Because of all of these goodies I got to really make a good stock.  If you think about it, the stock is really the most important part.  A good Spanish rice like Valencia or better yet, Bomba, will absorb 4:1 in the case of Valencia or 5:1 in the case of Bomba.  Now why is this important you ask?  If the rice is done when it absorbs 3:1, why waste the stock?  Cause stock is where all of the flavor is.  If you create a bomb-diggity stock and then use Bomba, OMG it is stunning.  But it will require a lot of liquid.  

So I started with 1 gallon of homemade chicken stock, very rich and gelatinous.  Then I added all of the heads of the live spots, the shells of everybody, the lobster bodies and all of the shells and coral, the halibut skin, and 2 TABLESPOONS of Saffron.  


Understanding solubility:  so a little science is important here.  Ever had saffron oil?  It sucks.  big waste of money.  Why? Most foods are either fat-soluble or water-soluble not both.  Paprika for instance if very firmly fat-soluble, not water.  This is why most Americans think of paprika as food coloring.  We keep adding it after we have added a liquid component.  Paprika MUST be fried in oil at the beginning of the cooking in order to bring out the flavor, otherwise it is just red.  (the whole capiscum family is like this, try sauteing cayenne)


Saffron on the other hand is water-soluble not fat.  If we fry it in the beginning of the sofrito, it doesn't do anything.  You need to add it to the stock and let it simmer a long time to get the maximum flavor.  


Side not about saffron: it is unfortunate that we don't like Iran right now.  They have some amazing stuff.  Saffron originally came from Persia and went to Spain with the Moors.  The only good stuff comes from either Spain or Iran.  the difference is the price.  Spain has quite a marketing team driving up that price.  Iran on the other hand... umm... let's just say it is cheaper.  The thing is, I feel the Iranian stuff is better.  Spanish stuff taste metallic if you use to much, where Persian saffron tastes great no matter what.  Go to Pars market in Bellevue by the Skateking and pick up a dime bag of Saffron.  Literally like a quarter cup for $10!!!!

sauteeing the sofrito

What is a sofrito? Every culture has its basic way to start a dish.  We are very french focused, so we all know our Mirepoix.  Carrots, onions, and celery.  However, the other cuisines have their own.  Sofrito is the Spanish version.  It is onions, garlic, tomato/pepper, and a lot of extra virgin olive oil.  Saute, add salt, and now proceed with your dish.  This when translated through the lens of the bayou has become Sofregit (Trinity) onions, green bell, and celery.  


So once you have all of your ingredients prepped and you have a very full flavored, heavily seasoned stock (Rice doesn't like to take salt at the end of the cooking, make sure to over season your stock), it is time to cook.


So Alan has a toy that I want for Christmas sooooooooo bad!  It is from Spanish Table and it is a 35person Paella pan with a 3 burner ring that is run by independent valves off of one propane tank.  So if it is cooking to fast on the rim of the pan you can turn it down, etc.  I was like a kid in the candy store!!  Only like $250!  Anyway, super fun event, and I can't wait to do it again.  I will come to your house! Just make sure to have lots of wine for me.  and perhaps a band?

They were good!!!