Paella

 

Spice Mix for Chicken, recipe to follow

8-9 Chicken Thighs

1/4 cup Olive Oil

5 Sausages, sliced (Johnson's)

1 Sweet Onion, sliced

4-5 Garlic Cloves, chopped

1 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

1 30 oz can Tomatoes, crushed

4 cups Short Grain Rice

6 1/2 cups Water

Generous Pinch Saffron Threads

1 1/2 pounds Seafood Mix (shrimp, scallops, clams)

1 cup Frozen Peas, thawed out

1 Lemon, cut into wedges and grilled

Salt, Pepper, to taste

Chicken Spice Mix

1 tablespoon Smoked Paprika

1 tablespoon Herbs de Provence

1 tablespoon Kosher Salt

1 tablespoon Black Pepper

In a small bowl, mix all the spices together.  Generously rub all over the chicken.  Place chicken in a Zip Lock Bag.  Marinate in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours, or overnight.

Heat oil in a paella dish over medium-high heat.  Saute sausages until browned, remove and reserve.

Add chicken skin side down, brown on all the side for about 10 minutes.  Remove and reserve.

 In the same pan make a sofrito by sauteing the onion, garlic, and parsley for about 5 minutes.  Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Saute for another 5-7 minutes, until the flavors meld.

Fold in the rice and stir-fry to coat the grains. Pour in water and simmer for 10 minutes, gently moving the pan around so the rice cooks evenly and absorbs the liquid. Season with salt and pepper.  

 Add chicken, sausages, and saffron.  Give the paella a good shake and let it simmer, without stirring, until the rice is al dente, for about 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, when the rice is filling the pan, add the seafood mix.  Cover with foil and cook for about 5-7 minutes, until shrimp turns pink and clams open up.  Add the peas.  When the paella is cooked and the rice looks fluffy and moist, turn the heat up for 40 seconds until you can smell the rice toast at the bottom, then it's perfect.

Place grilled Lemon wedges over the top.

Serves 10-12.

* You can find paella pan in Bed Bath and Beyond for $20.  I used grill BBQ to make the paella.  You can control the temperature of the heat, which helps to achieve the perfect crispy bottom of the paella.

The ideal paella has a toasted rice bottom called socarrat.

I closely followed Tyler Florence recipe on this one, just making few adjustments to my dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-paella-recipe/index.html

Calamari Steaks with Tomato-Wine Sauce

One pound Calamari Steaks, tenderized

1/2 cup Flour

1 Egg, lightly beaten

1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Pinch of Cayenne

Salt, Pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons Olive Oil, for frying

Tomato-Wine Sauce

3/4 cup of Wine

2 tablespoons Butter

12 Kalamata Olive, chopped

1 Tomato, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Chili Flakes

1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar

Salt, Pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, chopped

In a small skillet, melt the butter.  Add wine, reduce it by half.  Add olives and tomatoes.  Season with chili flakes, sugar, salt,and pepper.  Cook for another 5 minutes.  Finish the sauce with fresh Cilantro.

Preheat a medium size skillet, add the oil.  Season calamari with salt and pepper, on both sides. 

Season egg mixture with cayenne and little salt.

Dredge the calamari steaks in the flour, egg, and then bread crumbs.  Fry calamari for about 4 minutes, flipping once.  Very important not to over cook it.

To serve:  Place the calamari steak on a serving plate and top with the tomato-wine sauce.

Serves 4

*The sauce is very light.  Perfect with the fried Calamari Steaks.

Calamari Salad

1 Pound Calamari Steaks

1/2 cup Cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoons Mayo

1 Roasted Pepper, from a jar

Juice of one Lime

2 Garlic cloves

Few Dashes Hot Sauce

Salt, Pepper to taste

In a large pot boil water and add salt. Drop calamari steaks in the boiling water and cook for no more than three minutes. Drain and rinse the calamari steaks with cold water, to stop the cooking process.  Cut the steaks into thin strips.

In the food processor, blend mayo, roasted pepper, lime juice, garlic cloves, and hot sauce. Season to your taste. Pour the dressing over calamari strips and add chopped cilantro. Toss it all together.

Serves 4