Let me be honest up front.
I have not made this dish yet.
But I saw it online the other day and was very interested. If I was not going on vacation any minute (or am on it when you read this) I would have made it.
See, I love paella, but I suffer from paella fear. It is similar to but unrelated to my fear of yeast. A burnt, sticky mess or hard, uncooked rice..I see a lot of possible problems. A couple of years ago...yes, a couple of years ago...I received a paella pan for Christmas and have not used it yet. I read any number of recipes online, and they all seem so complicated. But this one, from Chef MacGregor Mann, from Amada in Philadelphia, seems so much easier and especially since it is cooked in the oven rather than on the cooktop, more foolproof.
Hey, before I get back, why doesn't someone make it and tell me how it turned out?! I would appreciate it!
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| fuzzy...and not mine, but Chef Mann's |
Chicken Paella
Ingredients
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Remove the stock from heat, stir in the saffron, cover and set aside.
3. In a large, heavy skillet or paella pan, combine the olive oil, chorizo, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the chorizo begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and mix to coat the grains completely.
4. Stir in the reserved chicken stock, peas, pepper and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the edges are golden brown and the rice is cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Top the paella with the parsley salad and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved (about ¾ cup)
- 1 bunch parsley, stems removed (about 2 cups)
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- ½ cup jarred baby artichoke hearts, halved
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2¼ cups low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon saffron
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound fresh Spanish chorizo, cut into ¼-inch slices
- 1 small onion, diced (about ½ cup)
- 6 garlic cloves, minced (about ¼ cup)
- 1 cup calaspara or Arborio rice
- ¼ cup fresh or frozen peas
- ¼ cup jarred piquillo pepper, thinly sliced
- 10 ounces shredded cooked chicken (about 2 cups)
Directions
1. Make the parsley salad: In a large mixing bowl, toss the cherry tomatoes with the parsley, onion, vinegar and artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Let stand at room temperature while you make the paella.2. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a small saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Remove the stock from heat, stir in the saffron, cover and set aside.
3. In a large, heavy skillet or paella pan, combine the olive oil, chorizo, onion and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and the chorizo begins to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rice and mix to coat the grains completely.
4. Stir in the reserved chicken stock, peas, pepper and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake until the edges are golden brown and the rice is cooked through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if necessary. Top the paella with the parsley salad and serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
This is my contribution this to this week's Weekend Cooking."Weekend Cooking is open to anyone who has any kind of food-related post to share: Book (novel, nonfiction) reviews, cookbook reviews, movie reviews, recipes, random thoughts, gadgets, fabulous quotations, photographs. If your post is even vaguely foodie, feel free to grab the button and link up anytime over the weekend."
Be sure to check out the other entries this week. As always, hosted by Beth Fish Reads.
Personally I love paella, but it always seemed like a lot of work. I think paella in the oven sounds hugely easier and less chancy. For all we know, there may be a crockpot recipe for it as well! But on balance, I prefer to get my husband to take me on a field trip (e.g., to Spain) to get some. Sounds way easier...
ReplyDeleteWhen we went to Spain, we fell in love with the paella but I just knew I would most likely never cook it nor would I buy a paella pan. Your recipe sounds so good though that I would be willing to try it. I wonder if you could use some other kind of pan.
ReplyDeleteI don't have much experience with paella but this recipe does sound user-friendly. Do you have to have a paella pan to make it?
ReplyDeleteHave fun vacationing!
I married a Cuban, and he's family would make Paella mainly for parties, cookouts, and New Years Eve. I wanted to try to make it last year. It just seems too complicated for me, so I chickened out. I think cooking it is the oven sounds easier. Maybe some day I will be brave and try. I would love to know how yours will turn out.
ReplyDeleteI adore paella! I haven't made it in years -- but I have made it . . . once. I don't have a recipe so I'm happy to have this one. Now we're waiting to see how you did!
ReplyDeleteI love Paella, although I have never made it.
ReplyDeleteThe first time I tried it we were on the Spanish Island of Gran Canaria and with friends. They had set their hearts on a roast dinner and we didn't fancy it, so made our excuses and headed to a restaurant where they served the most wonderful sea food paella. We loved it so much we went back for another visit before we left!