FEBRUARY'S SPICY CHICK-OZO PAELLA

SPICY CHICK-OZO PAELLA

(chicken and chorizo..or chicken sausage..paella)

Paella for 8, but stretched for 15

Attendees:
The Father
The Mother
Juicy, sister
Disney, bro-in-law
A2'd, niece
SisterLee, sister
Daphne, bro-in-law
R, nephew
J, niece
Ricky, brother
Lucy, sis-in-law
K, nephew
Her Highness, daughter
"A", son
The Smallest Dog in the World, dog

and....Me.

Ingredients:
16 pieces chicken thighs, skin on
6 sprigs of thyme
1/4 c. olive oil
4 Adelaide Italian chicken/turkey sausage or chorizo
3 garlic gloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
2 red peppers chopped
1 green pepper chopped
Pinch of sweet paprika
3 c. Arborio rice
1 tsp. saffron threads (or 2 tsp depending if conserving saffron)
7 c chicken broth
Asparagus

Ermeril's Essence Rub:
2-1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Directions:
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry.  Season with Emeril Legasse's Essence rub.  Heat oil in paella pan or wide skillet on a BBQ grill.  Brown the chicken on all sides until nearly cooked through.  About 6-7 minutes on each side.  Take out and set aside.  Saute cut chorizo/sausage for about 7 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

Drain out excess oil but do not clean the pan.  Saute onion, garlic and tomatoes, cook until the mixture caramelizes slightly until the flavors meld.  Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

Add the Arborio rice, stirring to coat the grains.  In the meantime, steep the saffron in 1/4-cup hot water for 5 minutes then stir into the rice.

Add some broth until it just covers the rice.  Add peppers. Gently move the pan around so the rice and peppers cooks and absorbs evenly.  Keep adding broth to just cover the rice until all 7 cups of broth are used.  Do not stir.  However, shake and move to keep the rice cooking evenly.  After 15 minutes, add chicken and sausage and scatter the asparagus over top.  Cook another 15-25 minutes, until the rice is al dente.  The rice should be toasted on the bottom, called socarrat.  Allow to rest off the heat for 5 minutes before serving.

Consensus:  Another thumbs up.  Her Highness and "A" agreed the February Paella was better than January.  Less BBQ flavor.  The rice needed to be toasted a lot more.  The flame needed to be higher. 

JANUARY'S SHRUSSEL PAELLA

SHRUSELL PAELLA

(Shrimp and Mussels)

paella for 8

Attendees:

Quib & CeCe

NaK & MaK

The Husband

"A", son

Her Highness, daughter

Me 

Ingredients:

3 green peppers (cut in fairly large dices)

2 c. white wine

6 shallots (chopped)

3 Tbs fresh thyme

18 whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaf

3-1/2 lbs mussels in shells

1 lb. shrimp

2 8oz bottles clam juice

chicken broth

1 tsp. saffron (crumbled)

4 tsp. olive oil

4 c. finely chopped onions

6 cloves garlic, minced

4 c. chopped fresh tomatoes

salt and pepper

3 c. arborio rice

5 Tbl italian parsley (chopped)

Directions:

- In large pot combine, wine, shallots, thyme, peppercorns, and by leaf.  Bring to a boil

- Add mussels and cook for 6 minutes.  They all should be popped open.

- Remove mussels from the pot into a bowl and cool.

- Keep liquid in the pot.  Pour any liquid from the bowl back into the pot.

- Remove muscles from shell reserving approx. 24 with the shell for garnish.

- Strain cooking liquid through cheesecloth back into the pot.  

- Add clam juice and saffron, simmer for 5 minutes.

- Transfer liquid to large measuring cup.  Add chicken broth to measure to 7 cups.

- Heat oil in paellaer.

- Add onions, garlic and green peppers.  Saute until softened.

- Add tomatoes

- Season with salt and pepper to taste

- Stir in rice and saute until rice is thoroughly mixed with oil and vegies

- Place paellaer on grill

- Pour in reserved broth until broth just barely covers the rice.  Simmer.  Stir frequently.

- Continue to cover with broth as it gets absorbed until broth is gone. (30-40 minutes)

- After 20 minutes, add mussels and shrimp.  Stir frequently.

- Cook until rice absorbs broth and is al dente (just tender)

- If rice needs to cook more, add another cup of warm water

- Add parsley

The trick is to keep the rice barely submerged in liquid, stir frequently, cooking down and add more broth.  In the grill the bottom of the paella will be crispy...and that's the way it's supposed to be...according to our Spaniard taste tester. 

Consensus:  Thumbs up!  Tasty...could've used a little more Saffron.

Ciao for now!

k