We have soccer fever here at the Hammer household! For the Spain game today we served up paella and Agua Valencia. Much to my chagrin, the paella was a fine consolation to Espana’s loss to Russia. But, oh, what a paella. Saffron credit goes to my neighbors Lucy and Michael who brought it all the way from Barcelona!
Shrimp and Chorizo Paella
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking
10 jumbo shrimp
1 onion, quartered
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 carrot, sliced
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups dry white wine
1 bouquet garni (in a sachet, place together 4 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 leek, just the white part, and 2 cloves)
1 ½ tsp salt
I like to make my stock the night before to give the broth extra time to allow the flavors to meld. Peel and devein 10 jumbo shrimp. Set the shrimp meat aside and put the shells in a pot with all of the above ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth and discard all the solids. Let cool and cover to store overnight.
When you are ready to go, begin by warming the broth back up to a simmer. Add 1 tsp saffron threads to the broth before it simmers. Heat a large cast iron skillet to medium and in a tsp of olive oil, add a pound of fresh Spanish chorizo still in casing, cook until browned and cook through, then slice into ½ inch rounds and brown a bit. Cook the shrimps for one minute, and also set aside.
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
8 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 TB Spanish paprika
½ tsp salt
3 cups Arborio rice
1 bay leaf
1 cup peas
It’s paella time! Make sure your broth (above) is simmering. Caramelize the onion first in the oil. Then add the garlic, bell pepper and cook for a bit (don’t burn the garlic). Then add the tomatoes, paprika and salt and stir for a minute. Then add the rice and peas and bay leaf and ensure all the rice gets a little oil lather. Press the shrimp onto the top. Add the broth until everything is covered and simmer for 25-30 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes, then overturn onto a platter.
Among other tasty snacks for your gluten free sports fans, I’ve been turned onto this line of products from Absolutely Gluten Free. The coconut chews are fabulous. The tahini bars are sweet and teeny (nice, I imagine with a cup of tea during an afternoon sinking period), and then the chocolate brownie biscuits are my favorite.
