A Spring Paella

I love Spanish foods, especially Spain’s national dish of paella. Paella Con Camarones, Jamon y Chorizo; Paella vs Jambalaya; Chicken Paella Casserole; Paella Made Simple As you can see by how many posts I have posted about paella, it a most definitely a favorite of mine.

It was another paella night again last night. I had little bits of this and that, and turned them all into a delicious meal for four. Our friends Mike and Lauren joined us, and as always, we had yet another great evening. The boys had been playing gold earlier and Lauren and I went to the zoo. So a nice paella with a cool crisp chardonnay and some warmed ciabatta enjoyed out on the deck was a perfect way to end a beautiful day.

This paella was similar to many other paellas I make. It was loaded with all kinds of good things; Andouille sausage, chicken, shrimp and ham, along with lots of vegetables and, of course, rice.

All my meats except the shrimp were already cooked, which made this dish even easier to make. So, first thing to cook was the shrimp. I cooked it in a combination of olive oil and lemon olive oil.

Once the shrimp was cooked, I removed it from the heat and cooked the vegetables. Then I added red and green bell peppers, onions, corn, garlic and a very large yellow heirloom tomato. MMMMMM! I love heirlooms. They are my FAVORITE tomatoes, but I digress. 🙂

I added the rice and the seasonings after about five minutes and sauteed it in with the vegetables.

Next came all the meat, about 1 cup of chicken broth and 1 cup of dry white wine.

I brought it all to a boil, then covered it and reduced the heat to a simmer and cooked it until most of the liquid had evaporated and the rice was cooked. Of course, I stirred it along the way and scraped up the rice from the bottom, to get the flavors of the socarrat or the crispy fried rice at the bottom of the pan.

One of the key components to paella is the crispy rice that forms on the bottom of the pan. This crispy rice is called socarrat and it is one of the things that makes paella so special. When the rice is cooked just right, it will form a crispy, golden brown crust on the bottom of the pan. This crust is packed with flavor and is one of the best parts of the dish. The key to getting the perfect socarrat is to use a good quality rice and to cook it over a high heat. Once the rice is cooked, it is important to let it sit for a few minutes so that the socarrat can form.

It was yet another dinner that was simply delicioso! I like simple rustic dishes that come from the heart. And when they are shared with good friends, there is nothing better. 🙂

Have a great day and make everyday great. Stay safe and satay well. ’til next time.