Paella

Tonight, I made paella. It's wonderful and easy and cheap and it makes everyone happy. I used shrimp and andouille sausage, but lots of things work. Combinations of seafood are common (like, maybe shrimp, clams and mussels) and they look really striking. I think having a few shrimp (maybe like 2 or 3 per person) and a decent amount of sausage is a good way to stretch it out. Chorizo or spicy Italian sausage are good as well. Or, you could do chicken and sausage, or chicken and shrimp. A quick epicurious search pulls up vegetarian paella (white beans and swiss chard, asparagus and sugar snaps), a turkey paella, even rabbit and artichoke. Snails are another traditional component.

Paella is a Spanish rice dish that is supposed to be cooked in a very thin, some would say very cheap, pan. Purists will insist that the title "Paella" requires a crunchy, almost burnt crust on the bottom of the pan. It's become a recurring theme in Top Chef (the TV show) for a contestant to make what they call paella. In most cases, they've used the high quality pans provided for them, and thus have produced a nice, evenly heated, perfectly cooked pan full of rice. This angers Chef Tom Collichio. In a few cases, the contestant has pulled this off (see: Ilan, Season 2, individual paellas, cooked in serving dishes, and not actual cookware. Clever, or lucky?). When this has happened, all the judges basically get off on this magnificent burnt rice. Padma Lakshmi, judge and host, delights in proding the crunchy bits with her fork, like an ethnic, stoner version of Amelie cracking the top of her creme brule, and she looks up and informs the viewers at home "the rice is soooo crunchy, you guys!"

But anyways. My "paella" did not have the crunchy bottum. I don't care for burnt rice, myself. I chopped up about 1 cup of onion and sauteed that till it was a little browned. I added in minced garlie (2 cloves), a big pinch of saffron and about 1/2 teaspoon of smoked spanish paprika. I used roasted red peppers from a jar, so I diced them and added them after the spices. (You'd add diced fresh bell pepper with the onions.) I poured in 2 cups of chicken broth (fish stock is good too), 1 cup of short-to-medium grain rice and an andouille sausage, halved and sliced. You bring the broth to boil, then lower the heat and cooked with the lid on for 15 minutes, till the rice is mostly cooked. Then I added the shrimp- I just layed them on top of the rice and pushed them into it so they were in the rice but not covered. If the rice looks dry, add more broth. Cover again and cook on very low heat till the shrimp are pink.

If you were using chicken, you would brown in in the pan before doing anything else, cooking it about halfway. Then, you'd add it with the rice and broth, letting it cook the rest of the way. Clams or mussels you'd add with the rice and broth. If you're using uncooked sausage, cook it with the onions and peppers. If (like I did) you havve cooked sausage, just add it with the rice so the flavor will infuse.

Saffron and Spanish Paprika are pretty strongly associated with paella. Saffron is amazingly expensive, and if I hadn't helped myself to my mom's supply, I'm sure I would not be using it in my own kitchen. I've made this with a little tumeric in place of saffron and been quite happy with the results. I think I even called it "Paella", not "Seafood and Sausage Rice Dish with Eclectic Blend of Spices and Without Bottom-Crust". It's very flexible- a 2:1 liquid:rice, as much meat or seafood as you like (or, as much as you have), and whatever vegetables seem appropriate (red or green bell peppers, tomato, green bean, peas, artichokes, asparagus...) This is a good dish for using vegetables that maybe aren't as great as they could be, whether they're canned or frozen or just leftover, because they'll be cooking in a really flavorful broth.

Rice

I’ve been trying to decide what my favorite starch is. It’s an odd question, I know. If I asked a friend their favorite starch, I don’t think they would know what I was talking about. What I mean is, between things like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, corn, and other grains, which is your favorite? I’m inclined to be a tool and say something like “Quinoa!” “Polenta!” But I think really it’s rice.

A number of considerations went in to the decision to call rice the favorite. The ultimate starch would have to be something that is recognizable as a plant product. Pasta is lovely, but homogenous mass and perfect little shapes always seem to be more “food product” than just “food”. This also rules out bread. Not that there is anything wrong with bread or pasta, but making a sandwich or pasta dish feels more like assembling than cooking. The Perfect Starch should not require mixing into dough, extruding from a machine, and then boiling in water. Potatoes take the lead in this respect- a starch that is literally dug up and ready to cook and eat. For this fact, and because the title includes the sweet potato (OMG I love sweet potatoes) potatoes are a close second to rice

I can’t think of any other ingredient that is so prevalent in so many very different cuisines. I mean, what other intersection is there between, say, South American food and Japanese? My favorite starch would have to be versatile as well. While pasta is always pasta, rice can be a creamy risotto, a sushi roll, paella or pilaf. It’s ideal for the most important use of starch- soaking up some delicious sauce. Hell, you can even make dessert out of it.

To be fair, white rice is not a nutritional powerhouse, or even equivalent to some more exotic whole grains. But brown rice is a perfectly fine substitute much of the time, and has a nice helping of nutrients and fiber. Don’t be put off by the longer cooking time. It’s not a race. And that stuff cooks itself, it’s as much work as ordering a pizza and waiting 40 minutes for it to be delivered. And please, please, never get this ready-rice crap. It cooks in 2 minutes in the microwave because it’s been stripped of every last bit of fiber or plant-like material. But rice, even the fluffy white kind, when combined with beans as a complete protein, like meat.

I’ve recently gotten really into the “pilaf” method of cooking rice where the rice is sautéed in some oil till it’s almost golden, and then cooked in something besides water, and then tossed with a vegetable or legume. This sauteeing slows the absorption of liquid, so the rice grains keep their shape. With the exception of the cilantro in the Green Rice, these all have the benefit of being "pantry dishes"- no fresh ingredients necessary

Red Rice

2 cloves garlic

½ white onion

2 Tbs olive oil

1 cup basmati rice

14 oz can whole tomatoes

Chili powder or hot sauce to taste

½ of a 1 lb bag of carrots, peas, and corn mixture

Puree canned tomatoes with garlic and onion, and add water to equal 2 cups of liquid. This is easiest with a stick blender. If you don’t have one, you should think about getting one, but in the meantime a blender or food processor is fine. If, like me, you have a stick blender but not a dishwasher, you can blend the tomatoes in the can. You’re welcome. Heat oil in saucepan with a good lid. Nonstick is good. When oil is hot (hot as in water sizzles when it’s dropped in, not hot like shimmering like when you pan sear fish) add the rice and saute, stirring, about 3-5 minutes. This cooks the outer shell of the grain so that it doesn’t absorb liquid as quickly later on. The bubbling sound will be different after you’ve done this long enough. Less hissy, more snap-crackle-pop.

Add the tomato mixture. (If you’re using the in-the-can method of blending, you can add half the tomato stuff, then blend the other half with the garlic, onion, and ¼ cup of water and chili powder or hot sauce.) Cook, with the lid on, till the liquid is almost all absorbed. If all the liquid is absorbed and you taste a grain and it could stand to cook for longer, add more water.

Turn off heat and stir in as much of the veggie mix as you’d like. I like about 1/3 of the 1 lb bag. Let it sit for a few minutes so the frozen veggies are heated through. Ooh look how pretty.

You can use just peas if you want. I’d like to try it with corn and lima beans sometime. Adding shredded chicken makes in a meal, or you could add beans.

Green Rice

2 cloves garlic

½ small white onion

½ lb package frozen spinach, thawed

¼ cup cilantro, loosely packed

1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 Tbs oil

1 cup basmati rice

Puree garlic, onion, spinach, cilantro and chicken broth in food processor. Heat oil in saucepan that has a good lid. Nonstick is good. When oil is hot (hot as in water sizzles when it’s dropped in, not hot like shimmering like when you pan sear fish) add the rice and saute till golden, stirring, about 3-5 minutes. Add spinach mixture and cook, covered, until liquid is absorbed, checking to make sure rice is cooked though.

Yellow Rice

½ teaspoon turmeric

1 tsp cumin

2 Tbs oil

1 cup rice

2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

Any combination of peas, black beans, diced roasted red peppers

Heat oil and spices till oil is hot. Add rice and sauté. Add stock or water and cover, cooking on medium heat till liquid is absorbed. Toss with peas, black beans and/or red pepper.