Recipe Of The Day

Yesterday on the Travel Channel I watched Padme Lakshmi visit a wonderful seaside restaurant in Spain. The specialty of the house is Paella. It seems that the chef/owner makes 4 huge batches a day. Watching this thing made my mouth water.

The video was online yesterday but there is now a message on YouTube that they had to take it down due to a "terms of use violation". I wish these producers would pull their heads out of their you know what's and join the rest of us in the 21st century. Having your video on YouTube is good for business. It spreads your word and drives traffic to your site and viewers to your shows. Oh well...here's a very similar recipe cut for 4 servings. I can't wait to make this. 

The quality of the ingredients is what counts the most:

Paella

What You’ll Need

3 tablespoons of olive oil (use the best you can get)

2 cloves of garlic, crushed with a little salt

6 chicken thighs

1/2 green pepper, seeds removed and diced (I prefer red or yellow or orange)

1 large ripe tomato, skinned and finely chopped

8 king prawns, keep their shells, heads and tails on (you’ll probably have to go to Chinatown for these!)

Salt (to taste)

2 cups of risotto or Spanish short grain rice

10 threads of saffron, soaked in a little boiling water

1 cup of sliced calamari

8 cups of fresh chicken, vegetable or fish stock (make your own for added flavor, it will be worth it)

How To Do It

Heat the paella pan of the right size for 4. It should be wide enough to cover the dry rice in a thin layer. As soon as the pan is hot add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, let it heat up. Then add the chicken thighs, a pinch of salt, and let them brown slightly, turning them patiently.

When they are cooked through, (no juices run pink), add the green pepper and tomatoes.

Add the rice and stir in until translucent. Add the saffron with the water it has soaked in and stir well. Then add the stock, half first and then submerge ingredients. Add the king sized prawns.

Bring to the boil and leave to cook without stirring for 12 minutes adding more stock if the surface dries out. After 12 minutes the rice should still look succulent and juicy. Remove from the heat, cover with a thick cloth and leave to stand for a further 10 minutes for the rice to finish soaking up the remaining juices.

Feel welcome to dress the paella with thick slices of lemon, salt and a touch of olive oil.

Serves 4 very happy people. Serve with a great Spanish wine