Viva La Paella.

We are back!

To anyone out there reading who was disappointed about how sparse the blogging was while in Europe -- so was I. Apparently Europeans like to charge outrageous amounts of money for internet at their hotels. I do promise that a post-Rome Europe post is coming soon, featuring the photography of our very own Eric Yates!

Tonight, however, I am focusing on current events, which in my world means creating a culinary masterpiece (or something of the sort) for under $10. That's right ladies and gentlemen, after four years of involuntary paella abstinence, I finally got my Spanish food fix.

What is paella (pronounced pah-eh-yah)? Wikipedia describes it as a Valencian saffron-flavored rice dish. I describe it as deliciousness in a pan. Okay, in all honesty, it's not so different from Rice-a-Roni, just fresher, and with some extra Spanish flavoring. Basically, it's just rice with some saffron mixed in, and the rest is pretty much up to the chef. In Spain, it's made in humongous skillets, and typically has to be ordered by at least two people at a table.

I fell in love with paella when we visited the Valencia region of Spain in 2006. Unfortunately, not a lot of southern restaurants keep Spanish Mediterranean dishes on their menus, and saffron costs around $17 for 3-4 sprigs. I only realized recently that you can buy saffron rice at the grocery store pre-made (with the Rice-a-Roni, go figure) for about $1. Of course this isn't completely comparable with the real stuff; but with a few additions, it turned out to be a fairly quick and scrumptious dinner.

The tricky part came after the purchase of the saffron rice. What recipe to use? Frankly, all the recipes I found using pre-made saffron rice sounded about as tasty as my fingernail. Just boil the rice and throw in some vegetables? I think not. So I scoured various sources (mainly Food Network - don't you love them??) and assembled my own Christie-style version of the dish.

Here's what I came up with:

Ingredients:

1-3 chicken breasts (or you can use shrimp, beef, pork, any type of meat)

1 T. paprika

2 tsp. oregano

salt and pepper

1 bag saffron rice

1/4 c. EVOO

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small onion, chopped

1 T. parsley

1 small tomato, finely chopped

Vegetables as desired (I used cucumbers)

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. white wine (chicken broth can be substituted for the wine, also)

1 hour prior to cooking, mix paprika, oregano, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Cut chicken into chunks and thoroughly rub mixture onto all pieces. Let marinate until you are ready to cook.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet on medium high heat. Add the chicken, turning until brown on all sides (it's supposed to look a little burned). NOTE: If you're using lobster or shrimp, skip this step and add the meat later in the recipe. Remove chicken to the side.

Drain about half of the liquid out of the pan and add the onion, garlic, and parsley, as well as any vegetables desired. Allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add in tomato and let simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add in saffron rice. Cook the rice stir-fry style, allowing to brown a bit (2-3 minutes).

Add in chicken broth and white wine, mix, and allow rice to absorb. Add chicken back in (or, if using lobster or shrimp, add them at this point). Cover and cook at medium heat until rice is ready and meat is thoroughly cooked. If needed, add more chicken broth and/or wine to make sure rice reaches desired consistency.

When dish is ready, turn up the heat for approx. 1 minute to scald the rice on the bottom of the pan. This burned layer is known as the socarrat, and gives an added kick to the paella.

So there you have it, oh wonderful readers. Try it. Love it. And if you ever have the chance to visit Spain -- well, by all means, try it there instead!!