Paella de Marisco

Paella de Marisco 
(this recipe will create a 26” paella, enough for 12-24 people)

To a large stockpot add:

12-15 cups chicken stock
2 tsp saffron, ground with a mortar and pestle
1 medium onion, peeled and cut in half
1 TB smoked sweet paprika
2 bay leaves

Simmer, covered, until onion is soft and translucent.  Keep stock simmering until you begin to prepare the paella.  You want the stock to be boiling hot by the time you’re ready to add it to the paella pan, so remember to adjust the heat a few minutes before you’re ready to add the stock.

Using seasoned wood or hardwood lump charcoal, build a fire hot enough to maintain a rapid simmer once the stock and rice is added to the pan, but not so hot that the stock evaporates faster than the rice can absorb it.  The latter will result in a burnt paella.  Achieving (and maintaining) the right temperature of the fire can be the trickiest part of the entire cooking process.  However, don’t let this deter you from attempting to make this fantastic dish over an open fire; the result is phenomenal. 

To the paella pan add:
1/8 cup olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
Sauté for a minute and then add...

8 large cloves of garlic, minced
12 scallions, chopped
Sauté for a minute and then add...

15.8 ounces dry-cured chorizo, sliced
4 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sauté for 3-4 minutes and then add...

1 TB kosher salt
2 cups dry white wine
4 TB fresh parsley, minced
3 TB fresh thyme leaves
Stir contents together and then add to the paella pan…

12 cups of boiling hot chicken stock (minus the onion and bay leaves)
4 cups (equivalent to two pounds) of Calasparra rice.  Sprinkle the rice in the pan to help evenly distribute it.  Allow the mixture to simmer for 3-4 minutes, without stirring, before adding the remainder of the components.

Beyond this point, it is forbidden to stir the paella!  Stirring will prevent socarrat from forming on the bottom of the pan, which is key to adding a depth of flavor to your paella that cannot be obtained any other way.  Socarrat is a thin layer of rice on the bottom of the pan that becomes caramelized and crispy (not burnt), and is quite delicious.  Again, have a fire hot enough to maintain a rapid simmer but not so hot that the stock evaporates faster than the rice can absorb it. 

You’re now ready to assemble a visual masterpiece!  Add to the paella pan, distributing evenly, one ingredient at a time:

2 pounds firm-fleshed fish (such as Amberjack or Halibut), cut in bite-sized pieces
2 cups of peas
14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, plus brine
Fresh-squeezed juice from one lemon
2 dozen mussels, scrubbed and debearded, seam side down
2 dozen littleneck clams, seam side down (you want the shellfish to open facing up)
2 dozen scallops
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
8-ounce jar of roasted piquillo pepper, cut into strips
Thinly sliced lemon rings from one lemon

Cover the paella pan with foil and allow paella to cook for 20-25 minutes.  Then, taste rice for doneness.  If the rice is nearly done but a fair amount of liquid remains in the pan, let the paella finish cooking uncovered for roughly another 10 minutes.  Conversely, if too little stock remains, add more hot stock (as much as you feel is necessary), re-cover, and cook until rice is done,  checking frequently.

Serve with lemon wedges, a sliced, warm baguette, and Verdejo wine.  

Enjoy!

Leeks and Fennel with Amberjack and Halibut poached in white wine and vegetable broth

This recipe had its genesis after dining out with a friend one evening.  We ordered two different meals and while I enjoyed mine, my friend Joan reluctantly picked at hers.  Joan told me that she liked the flavor of the dish but for some reason she was apprehensive about eating it. Joanie let me taste a bite of the dish that sat before her and, wow, was it delicious!  The flavors were delicately complex.  The fish had been poached in the broth, which enhanced their flavor without masking it, and the broth itself was light and herbaceous.   I was surprised that she wasn't enjoying her meal more than she was.

We talked about the dish, which by then I wish I had ordered, and tweaks we might make to it in our own kitchens.  From my messenger bag I pulled out a notepad and pen and wrote down what the restaurant had written on their menu board:

Mediterranean poached Amberjack & Halibut with leeks, fennel and heirloom tomatoes

The dish was served with a marjoram potato gratin, which was included on the same plate. One of the tweaks Joan and I readily agreed upon is that the gratin should be served in a ramekin on the side. 

An inquiry with our server revealed that the broth the fish were poached in was comprised of white wine, a light vegetable stock, fennel (fresh and seeds), and finely chopped heirloom tomatoes.  Fennel fronds were used to garnish the dish.

Amberjack isn't easy to find but if you can, use it in this dish.  It is a meaty off-white fish with a delicate flavor.

This recipe, which until now has only been in my head, is my best attempt to duplicate the flavorful dish that Joan ordered that evening long ago.  'Amberjack' remains an inside joke for us to this day.

-Thinly slice a small-medium bulb of fennel, fronds and all.  

-Thinly slice the whites of 3 medium-large leeks.

-Add the fennel and leeks to a deep skillet with 2 TB olive oil.  Toss until the mixture is coated with the oil.  Sauté until the leeks are translucent and the fennel becomes tender.  

-Add 1/2 cup dry white wine along with 1-1/2 cups of light vegetable stock to the pan.

-Dice a large red or orange heirloom tomato of your choice and add it to the mixture.

-Add a couple pinches of salt, the equivalent of about 1/2 tsp

-Add 1 TB of dried marjoram and 1/4 tsp of ground fennel seed

-2 tsp of fresh lemon juice

Cover and allow this mixture to gently simmer for 20-25 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.  

Cut the filets of amberjack and halibut into rough one inch chunks and then add to the broth to poach.  Let the amount of fish you add be dictated by the number of people who will be eating the dish.  The dish should be light, not crowded with fish.

I enjoy serving this over a thin bed of basmati rice in a shallow bowl.  You can make a potato gratin if you wish.