paella

elaine said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make paella with sausage, chicken
and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive (does it actually
have a taste?). Tried and true recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to
make it hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

Although there are some here who would enjoy it without saffron; paella without it, to me, is like
eating an Indian curry dish, with no cumin, coriander, et cetera. You can buy a small amount; which
is what you are going to use anyway.

Curry powder in a paella? Blahhhh! Don't forget to use the proper rice (I use Goya's pearl rice,
inexpensive and good.)

E-mail me if you want me to send you any of the recipes.

Regards,

Rich

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

paella is made with saffron for flavor and is not supposed to be hot.

I add frozen shrimp when I can't afford clams and mussels.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or
curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

I just bought a packet of Zaffron in a Oriental grocery store the size
of a cigarrete pack for 1.99 ( yes one dollar and ninentynine cents)
They told me it is not the best quality but at that price I can use
the whole pack in one dish!
On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:53:30 -0500, "elaine" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make paella with sausage, chicken
and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive (does it actually have
a taste?). Tried and true recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it
hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made and
enjoyed!

E.

Yes, please send me a recipe.

I have to buy the ingredients tomorrow or Friday at the latest. I also would no more think of
making my curry without cumin, coriander, etc. But have never made a real paella - and want to
do it right! Just wasn't sure about the saffron - in my very limited experience, I didn't think
it had a flavour, but made the dish look a pretty colour.

Thanks.

Elaine

"Richard Periut" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

saffron is very expensive (does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

who have already made and enjoyed!

E.

Although there are some here who would enjoy it without saffron; paella without it, to me, is
like eating an Indian curry dish, with no cumin, coriander, et cetera. You can buy a small
amount; which is what you are going to use anyway.

Curry powder in a paella? Blahhhh! Don't forget to use the proper rice (I use Goya's pearl rice,
inexpensive and good.)

E-mail me if you want me to send you any of the recipes.

Regards,

Rich

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or
curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

I also like to add some peas, roasted red bell peppers, and string beans.

--Erica

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or
curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

Maybe a bit of caution here. A good paella takes a careful balance of liquid and rice, enough to
cook the ingredients but not too much or it becomes a sticky mess; too little and the rice either
doesn't cook enough or becomes hard and burns...it really is a touchy dish that might need a bit
of practice before turning it out onto your friends. In my experience it takes a lot of watching
and coddling.

But what you are describing, without the clams/mussels but with saffron, seems quite close to a
Spanish Arroz con Polo, a very similar dish without the shellfish, it can take shrimp, and is much
easier to make although still a tad tricky. Take a Google at it and see what you think; it might be
the better way to go while you practice paella behind closed doors.

pavane, who has made too many marginal paellas.

elaine said:

Yes, please send me a recipe.

I have to buy the ingredients tomorrow or Friday at the latest. I also would no more think of
making my curry without cumin, coriander, etc. But have never made a real paella - and want to
do it right! Just wasn't sure about the saffron - in my very limited experience, I didn't
think it had a flavour, but made the dish look a pretty colour.

Thanks.

Elaine

"Richard Periut" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

elaine said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

saffron is very expensive (does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

who have already made and enjoyed!

E.

Although there are some here who would enjoy it without saffron; paella without it, to me, is
like eating an Indian curry dish, with no cumin, coriander, et cetera. You can buy a small
amount; which is what you are going to use anyway.

Curry powder in a paella? Blahhhh! Don't forget to use the proper rice (I use Goya's pearl
rice, inexpensive and good.)

E-mail me if you want me to send you any of the recipes.

Regards,

Rich

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

This is an authentic paella dish from Valencia. There are other variations such as vegetarian and
seafood paellas. This version is not even seen in most "Spanish" restaurants that cater to the
community here, because rabbit and snails are going to scare the customers away.

However, I've made it with the substitutes I put in parenthesis; and it comes out fantastic. Again,
the humidity of the rice, the more or less of other ingredients, forces you to make sure you don't
undercook the rice. Just taste, if it's hard, you need more liquid.

As with any recipe, you basically get the "concept" and apply what is pragmatic in the
cooking process.

Enjoy, and let us know how what recipe you used, and how it turned out.

Rich

Paella Valenciana

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups of dried white beans

4 Tab olive oil

1 Chicken (2 1/2 pounds)

24 Snails (you can substitute with one pound of deveined and cleaned shrimp.)

1 ready to cook rabbit (substitute with Spanish sausage 3/4 pound, sliced 1/2 inch thick.)

2 1/4 pounds of Ferraura (fresh green beans or broad green beans are fine.)

2 medium sized tomatoes peeled and diced.

2 cloves of garlic finely diced

Nice pinch of saffron (buy the Spanish one and not the Mexican one.)

3 cups of medium grained rice (California pearl, Italian Arborio, Spanish pearl are all fine.)

S & P to taste.

Soak the beans overnight and drain the following day. Wash the chicken and the rabbit and pat dry.
Cut meats into finger food sized consistency. Ex: a thigh cut in half. Season with S & P.

Heat the oil in a paella pan, and brown the meat and brown on all sides over medium heat. I usually
divide it into two portions, else the meat's juices will accumulate and boil the meat. Then, add the
snails and fry briefly. Remove the meat and snails from the pan and set aside.

Add the green beans, tomatoes, and garlic to the oil and brown (careful not to burn the garlic,
which I always add at the very end of this process.) Add the white beans and pour about 10 cups of
water into the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add saffron (crumbled with fingers) and rice and mix
well. Boil for 10 minutes, then add the meat and snails and cook for another 10 minutes (or more if
needed) on low heat until the water has boiled away.

Source: Culinaria Spain 1998 Konemann Verlagsgesellschaft

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

What you got isn't saffron. It looks similar ands will turn food red, but it doesn't have anywhere
near the flavor. I think it may be from a safflower plant rather than the authentic crocus.

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

"Barlovento" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I just bought a packet of Zaffron in a Oriental grocery store the size of a cigarrete pack for
1.99 ( yes one dollar and ninentynine cents) They told me it is not the best quality but at that
price I can use the whole pack in one dish! On Wed, 25 Feb 2004 18:53:30 -0500, "elaine"

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or curry
powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

"pavane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or curry
powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

who have already made and enjoyed!

Maybe a bit of caution here. A good paella takes a careful balance of liquid and rice, enough to
cook the ingredients but not too much or it becomes a sticky mess; too little and the rice either
doesn't cook enough or becomes hard and burns...it really is a touchy dish that might need a bit
of practice before turning it out onto your friends. In my

experience

Quoted message said:

it takes a lot of watching and coddling.

But what you are describing, without the clams/mussels but with saffron, seems quite close to a
Spanish Arroz con Polo, a very similar dish without the shellfish, it can take shrimp, and is much
easier to make although still a tad tricky. Take a Google at it and see what you think; it might
be the better way to go while you practice paella behind closed doors.

pavane, who has made too many marginal paellas.

good idea--Arroz con Polo

I'm up for the coddling and tricky parts - and what better time to practice if not with
friends......thanks, but I have my heart set on paella --

Won't be marginal - fingers crossed🙂
E.

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in

and

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

saffron is very expensive (does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make

it

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

who have already made and enjoyed!

Maybe a bit of caution here. A good paella takes a careful balance of liquid and rice, enough to
cook the ingredients but not too much or it becomes a sticky mess; too little and the rice
either doesn't cook

enough

Quoted message said:

or becomes hard and burns...it really is a touchy dish that might need a bit of practice before
turning it out onto your friends. In my

experience

Quoted message said:

it takes a lot of watching and coddling.

But what you are describing, without the clams/mussels but with saffron, seems quite close to a
Spanish Arroz con Polo, a very similar dish without the shellfish, it can take shrimp, and is
much easier to make although still a tad tricky. Take a Google at it and see what you

think;

Quoted message said:

it might be the better way to go while you practice paella behind closed doors.

pavane, who has made too many marginal paellas.

I love paella and have looked at a LOT of recipes and have tried many of them. In _My Kitchen In
Spain_, the author says that most Spanish households do not in fact use saffron for an everyday
family paella - they usually make do with turmeric for color, or a commercial spice mix like Bijol
(which you will sometimes see in Latin markets). Better restaurants I'm sure use saffron.

The two biggest controversies in paella making seem to be:

- Add each ingredient to the pan in order of cooking time, or add, cook, remove, add, cook, remove,
and eventually add everything back

- Cover or not at the end while the rice cooks

I'm sure any of the 4 combinations above can be made to work. I believe many restaurants finish
paellas in the oven (an extreme case of covering the pan), to save space on the range and because
it's easier to get the rice just right. But I think of the traditional paellas in huge pans (as much
as 2m in diameter) cooked on the beach or in the back yard. Do you think those people put in and
take out? Or cover the pan? I don't think so.

So, here's my suggestion:

- Start by sautéing the sofrito: garlic, onion, bell pepper, etc.
- Add the chicken (say) and brown it; you can move the cooked pieces toward the rim
- Heat up the saffron in a glass of white wine, or toast it lightly in a dry pan
- Add the uncooked rice and toss it in the pan for a minute or 2
- Add the (heated) stock (or water) and saffron and bring to a boil
- Turn the heat down to a simmer, arrange the chicken pieces nicely, and don't stir anymore
- Add fast-cooking ingredients (seafood, veggies) as the rice cooks
- Move the whole pan around over the burner if necessary to get even heat
- When the water has boiled off, remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest 5-10 minutes

For the ingredients, I don't really care for a surf-and-turf combination extravaganza - I think
that's tourist food. I tend to go for chicken/veg, or seafood, or all veg (if necessary). Cook the
big stuff at the start in the sofrito, small stuff at the end in the rice.

For me, the trickiest part is balancing the amount of stock and the simmering heat to get the rice
just right. You can't do it with too thick a layer of rice; if you don't use a paella pan, keep the
rice layer thin.

Suerte. Buen Provecho.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or
curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

Louis Cohen said:

I love paella and have looked at a LOT of recipes and have tried many of them. In _My Kitchen In
Spain_, the author says that most Spanish households do not in fact use saffron for an everyday
family paella - they usually make do with turmeric for color, or a commercial spice mix like Bijol
(which you will sometimes see in Latin markets). Better restaurants I'm sure use saffron.

The two biggest controversies in paella making seem to be:

- Add each ingredient to the pan in order of cooking time, or add, cook, remove, add, cook,
remove, and eventually add everything back

- Cover or not at the end while the rice cooks

I'm sure any of the 4 combinations above can be made to work. I believe many restaurants finish
paellas in the oven (an extreme case of covering the pan), to save space on the range and because
it's easier to get the rice just right. But I think of the traditional paellas in huge pans (as
much as 2m in diameter) cooked on the beach or in the back yard. Do you think those people put in
and take out? Or cover the pan? I don't think so.

So, here's my suggestion:

- Start by sautéing the sofrito: garlic, onion, bell pepper, etc.
- Add the chicken (say) and brown it; you can move the cooked pieces toward the rim

By the time you add the chicken, the garlic is toast (bitter.)

Quoted message said:

- Heat up the saffron in a glass of white wine, or toast it lightly in a dry pan
- Add the uncooked rice and toss it in the pan for a minute or 2
- Add the (heated) stock (or water) and saffron and bring to a boil
- Turn the heat down to a simmer, arrange the chicken pieces nicely, and don't stir anymore
- Add fast-cooking ingredients (seafood, veggies) as the rice cooks
- Move the whole pan around over the burner if necessary to get even heat
- When the water has boiled off, remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest 5-10 minutes

For the ingredients, I don't really care for a surf-and-turf combination extravaganza - I think
that's tourist food. I tend to go for chicken/veg, or seafood, or all veg (if necessary). Cook the
big stuff at the start in the sofrito, small stuff at the end in the rice.

For me, the trickiest part is balancing the amount of stock and the simmering heat to get the rice
just right. You can't do it with too thick a layer of rice; if you don't use a paella pan, keep
the rice layer thin.

Suerte. Buen Provecho.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

Quoted message said:

with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

Quoted message said:

recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or
curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask people who have already made
and enjoyed!

E.

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

PENMART01 said:

Quoted message said:

"Janet Bostwick" [email hidden] Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2004 19:00:46
-0700 Organization: Posted via Supernews, supernews.comsupernews.comOpen ↗ Message-ID:
<[email hidden]> Reply-To: "Janet Bostwick" <[email hidden]> References:
<403d3617$1_1@aeinews.> <[email hidden]> X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-
Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1158 X-MimeOLE: Produced By
Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 X-Complaints-To: [email hidden] Lines: 40

"pavane" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

Quoted message said:

> My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

>with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and saffron is very expensive
>(does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

>recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it hotter.... or curry
>powder?
>
> Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

Quoted message said:

>who have already made and enjoyed!
>

Maybe a bit of caution here. A good paella takes a careful balance of liquid and rice, enough to
cook the ingredients but not too much or it becomes a sticky mess; too little and the rice either
doesn't cook enough or becomes hard and burns...it really is a touchy dish that might need a bit
of practice before turning it out onto your friends. In my

experience

Quoted message said:

it takes a lot of watching and coddling.

But what you are describing, without the clams/mussels but with saffron, seems quite close to a
Spanish Arroz con Polo, a very similar dish without the shellfish, it can take shrimp, and is
much easier to make although still a tad tricky. Take a Google at it and see what you think; it
might be the better way to go while you practice paella behind closed doors.

pavane, who has made too many marginal paellas.

good idea--Arroz con Polo

Made correctly arros con pollo is a lot more involved than paella, especially to get a nice thick
'bun' without it burning... you need a large (8-10qts) well seasoned cast pan (thick cast aluminum
is best) and at least three hours time for it to bake in the oven.... and don't forget to include
the gandules, manzilla olives, and chorizo.

---= BOYCOTT FRENCH--GERMAN (belgium) =--- ---= Move UNITED NATIONS To Paris =--- Sheldon
```````````` "Life would be devoid of all meaning were it without tribulation."

Try this; you have been missing Arroz Con Pollo (two l's) nirvana:

Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera (Yellow Rice With Chicken & Bitter Beer)

This is a popular Cuban dish, which blends the flavors of the Old World (Spain), with the New
World (The Americas). It is of Cuban origin, and very much eaten amongst Cubans. The beer should
be a bitter one like Fosters Bitter, or Pilzner Uriquel from Czechoslovakia. There are many
versions out there, but this one is taken from an old Cuban cookbook written by the Julia Childs
of Cuba (Nitza Villapol.) I have tasted dozens of versions, and this one seems to be the most
authentic and popular.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (about 3.4 to 4 pounds)

Olive Oil) one quarter of a cup

1 Medium White Onion (Finely chopped)

3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

1 Medium Sized Green Bell Pepper Finely Chopped (Remove seeds from the peppers you will use)

Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper To Taste

2 Cups of Water

2 cups of Rice (The best rice to use is called pearl rice, also known as short grained rice, also
known as risotto Italian rice) It is not long grained! It is more like short spherical grains,
although not that spherical. (This is an essential part of the recipe) Goya has a good version.

1 Red Bell Pepper that has been charred all over an open flame. ( Just put the pepper on an open
flame, turning every now and then, until black all over. When cool to touch, take the black skin off
under running cold water. Cut into strips of about the length of the pepper, and set aside for the
decoration of the dish.

Saffron half a teaspoon of threads (Very Important for the dish. It is what imparts the dish
its flavor.) If you wish, with the saffron, you may add half a teaspoon of yellow coloring
(like Tumeric).

3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste

2 Cups (or more if needed) of Bitter Beer.

Half a Cup of Loose Green Peas or (Petit Pouis) Little tiny green peas that sometimes come frozen
or canned.

Take the chicken and cut it into drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breast cut in quarters. Save the
rest of the carcass for chicken stock if you want. I like to remove the skin from the breast and
thighs, but leave it on the wings and drum sticks.

Clean under cold water, and pat dry each piece with paper towels.

In a Dutch Oven add the olive oil. Heat at medium/high heat for a couple of minutes so that the
chicken sizzles when placed in the pot.

Add the chicken pieces one by one to form an almost single layer. Do not overcrowd or pot will
cool and chicken wont brown nicely. Add salt & pepper to taste. When browned on one side, turn
over, and again, salt & pepper to taste. You may need to do it in two batches (depending on the
size of the pot.)

Cook over medium/high heat until golden on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pt, and place
aside. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Scrape the pieces of chicken that
are stuck to the pot, with a wooden spoon. When the oil is hot again, add the onions and green
bell pepper, and saffron threads broken up with your fingers. Sauté until onion is a little
transparent. Afterwards, add the garlic (avoid burning the garlic which imparts a harsh flavor to
the food) and stir for a minute or two more.

Now, add the 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and cook for another two minutes, while stirring.

After the two minutes, return the chicken to the pot, add the rice, and stir. Cook for another
minute. Now add the two cups of water, and stir the whole thing. Cover with a lid, lower the heat
to low/medium (make sure the rice doesn't burn), and cook for 30 minutes. During those 30
minutes, you must stir the dish about 2 times. No more than that or you will break the chicken
and make the rice very gooey. If you find that the rice is sticking to the bottom, scrape it
gently, and lower the heat.

After the 30 minutes, add half of the green peas (save the rest for decoration), and add the beer
(you may add more beer if you notice that the rice is too dry; use judgment.) Stir it once more, to
get all the beer into the rice. Lower the heat to low. Cover again, and cook for another 15 to 20
minutes until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be fluffy, and not hard, nor too mushy. If it
is hard, add a little (half a cup) more beer, and cover and cook over low heat for another 10
minutes. You may sometimes need to repeat the last step 2 or three times.)

Correct for salt & black pepper to taste.

After that, give it a good stir, transfer to a large serving plate, and add the remaining peas on
top. Arrange long slices of the charred red pepper, so as to adorn the dish.

Serve with a nice cold beer that you were using for the cooking. A complete delicious and nutritious
meal in one!

Enjoy,

--
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

So what do you do?

--
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Louis Cohen Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

"Richard Periut" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Louis Cohen said:

I love paella and have looked at a LOT of recipes and have tried many of them. In _My Kitchen In
Spain_, the author says that most Spanish households do not in fact use saffron for an everyday
family paella -

they

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

usually make do with turmeric for color, or a commercial spice mix like Bijol (which you will
sometimes see in Latin markets). Better

restaurants

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I'm sure use saffron.

The two biggest controversies in paella making seem to be:

- Add each ingredient to the pan in order of cooking time, or add, cook, remove, add, cook,
remove, and eventually add everything back

- Cover or not at the end while the rice cooks

I'm sure any of the 4 combinations above can be made to work. I believe

many

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restaurants finish paellas in the oven (an extreme case of covering the pan), to save space on
the range and because it's easier to get the rice just right. But I think of the traditional
paellas in huge pans (as

much as

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2m in diameter) cooked on the beach or in the back yard. Do you think

those

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people put in and take out? Or cover the pan? I don't think so.

So, here's my suggestion:

- Start by sautéing the sofrito: garlic, onion, bell pepper, etc.
- Add the chicken (say) and brown it; you can move the cooked pieces

toward

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the rim

By the time you add the chicken, the garlic is toast (bitter.)

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- Heat up the saffron in a glass of white wine, or toast it lightly in a

dry

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pan
- Add the uncooked rice and toss it in the pan for a minute or 2
- Add the (heated) stock (or water) and saffron and bring to a boil
- Turn the heat down to a simmer, arrange the chicken pieces nicely, and don't stir anymore
- Add fast-cooking ingredients (seafood, veggies) as the rice cooks
- Move the whole pan around over the burner if necessary to get even

heat

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- When the water has boiled off, remove from heat, cover, and allow to

rest

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5-10 minutes

For the ingredients, I don't really care for a surf-and-turf combination extravaganza - I think
that's tourist food. I tend to go for

chicken/veg,

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or seafood, or all veg (if necessary). Cook the big stuff at the start

in

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the sofrito, small stuff at the end in the rice.

For me, the trickiest part is balancing the amount of stock and the simmering heat to get the
rice just right. You can't do it with too

thick a

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layer of rice; if you don't use a paella pan, keep the rice layer thin.

Suerte. Buen Provecho.

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--

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----
Louis Cohen
Living la vida loca at N37° 43' 7.9" W122° 8' 42.8"

"elaine" <[email hidden]> wrote in message

news:403d3617$1_1@aeinews....

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My turn to do the neighbourhood 'get together'. I thought I'd make

paella

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with sausage, chicken and shrimp. I cannot put mussels or clams in and
saffron is very expensive (does it actually have a taste?). Tried and

true

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recipes would be appreciated - could I add red pepper flakes to make it
hotter.... or curry powder?

Yes, have done the google thing but sometimes it's better to ask

people

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who have already made and enjoyed!

E.

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Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

Louis Cohen said:

So what do you do?

Make sure that while you are frying, the garlic is added last (last 2 minutes.)

Rich

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Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.

"PENMART01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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Made correctly arros con pollo is a lot more involved than paella,

especially

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to get a nice thick 'bun' without it burning... you need a large (8-10qts)

well

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seasoned cast pan (thick cast aluminum is best) and at least three hours

time

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for it to bake in the oven.... and don't forget to include the gandules, manzilla olives, and
chorizo.

Yeah, it really is. I was thinking of the journeyman versions, and you can get a decent "arroz con
pollo" with less effort, at least I have been able to do so, but if you are talking authentic, each
of these Spanish dishes is fabulous and is a labor of love, taking a lot of attention and care. The
arroz can be done in a quick and dirty much better, in a nasty pinch, than the paella with its
intricate balance of considerably different meats, fishes and of course rice and broths. It is just
that I have had so bloody many "paellas" that defile the name. Cheers.

pavane

"PENMART01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Made correctly arros con pollo is a lot more involved than paella,

especially

Quoted message said:

to get a nice thick 'bun' without it burning... you need a large (8-10qts)

well

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seasoned cast pan (thick cast aluminum is best) and at least three hours

time

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for it to bake in the oven.... and don't forget to include the gandules, manzilla olives, and
chorizo.

I know a lot of different Hispanic cultures make arroz con pollo and what you say may well be
true for some. My Cuban relatives would never think of putting it in the oven, using olives or
adding chorizo.

-Mike

"Richard Periut" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

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Arroz Con Pollo A La Chorrera (Yellow Rice With Chicken & Bitter Beer)

This is a popular Cuban dish, which blends the flavors of the Old World (Spain), with the New
World (The Americas). It is of Cuban origin, and very much eaten amongst Cubans. The beer should
be a bitter one like Fosters Bitter, or Pilzner Uriquel from Czechoslovakia. There are many
versions out there, but this one is taken from an old Cuban cookbook written by the Julia Childs
of Cuba (Nitza Villapol.) I have tasted dozens of versions, and this one seems to be the most
authentic and popular.

Ingredients:

1 Chicken (about 3.4 to 4 pounds)

Olive Oil) one quarter of a cup

1 Medium White Onion (Finely chopped)

3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

1 Medium Sized Green Bell Pepper Finely Chopped (Remove seeds from the peppers you will use)

Salt & Fresh Cracked Black Pepper To Taste

2 Cups of Water

2 cups of Rice (The best rice to use is called pearl rice, also known as short grained rice, also
known as risotto Italian rice) It is not long grained! It is more like short spherical grains,
although not that spherical. (This is an essential part of the recipe) Goya has a good version.

1 Red Bell Pepper that has been charred all over an open flame. ( Just put the pepper on an open
flame, turning every now and then, until black all over. When cool to touch, take the black skin
off under running cold water. Cut into strips of about the length of the pepper, and set aside for
the decoration of the dish.

Saffron half a teaspoon of threads (Very Important for the dish. It is

what

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imparts the dish its flavor.) If you wish, with the saffron, you may add half a teaspoon of yellow
coloring (like Tumeric).

3 Tablespoons of Tomato Paste

2 Cups (or more if needed) of Bitter Beer.

Half a Cup of Loose Green Peas or (Petit Pouis) Little tiny green peas that sometimes come frozen
or canned.

Take the chicken and cut it into drumsticks, thighs, wings, and breast cut in quarters. Save the
rest of the carcass for chicken stock if you want. I like to remove the skin from the breast and
thighs, but leave it on the wings and drum sticks.

Clean under cold water, and pat dry each piece with paper towels.

In a Dutch Oven add the olive oil. Heat at medium/high heat for a couple of minutes so that the
chicken sizzles when placed in the pot.

Add the chicken pieces one by one to form an almost single layer. Do not overcrowd or pot will
cool and chicken wont brown nicely. Add salt & pepper to taste. When browned on one side, turn
over, and again, salt & pepper to taste. You may need to do it in two batches (depending on the
size of the pot.)

Cook over medium/high heat until golden on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pt, and
place aside. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Scrape the pieces of
chicken that are stuck to the pot, with a wooden spoon. When the oil is hot again, add the
onions and green bell pepper, and saffron threads broken up with your fingers. Sauté until
onion is a little transparent. Afterwards, add the garlic (avoid burning the garlic which
imparts a harsh flavor to the food) and stir for a minute or two more.

Now, add the 3 tablespoons of tomato paste, and cook for another two minutes, while stirring.

After the two minutes, return the chicken to the pot, add the rice, and stir. Cook for another
minute. Now add the two cups of water, and stir the whole thing. Cover with a lid, lower the heat
to low/medium (make sure the rice doesn't burn), and cook for 30 minutes. During those 30 minutes,
you must stir the dish about 2 times. No more than that or you will break the chicken and make the
rice very gooey. If you find that the rice is sticking to the bottom, scrape it gently, and lower
the heat.

After the 30 minutes, add half of the green peas (save the rest for decoration), and add the beer
(you may add more beer if you notice that the rice is too dry; use judgment.) Stir it once more,
to get all the beer into the rice. Lower the heat to low. Cover again, and cook for another 15 to
20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be fluffy, and not hard, nor too mushy.
If it is hard, add a little (half

a

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cup) more beer, and cover and cook over low heat for another 10 minutes. You may sometimes need to
repeat the last step 2 or three times.)

Correct for salt & black pepper to taste.

After that, give it a good stir, transfer to a large serving plate, and add the remaining peas
on top. Arrange long slices of the charred red pepper, so as to adorn the dish.

Serve with a nice cold beer that you were using for the cooking. A complete delicious and
nutritious meal in one!

Enjoy,

This recipe is fairly close to the way my grandmother and mother would make Arroz con Pollo. They'd
use dry sherry rather than beer and add it when the water was added for the rice. They would also
use tomatoes rather than tomato paste. Oh, and bijol rather than saffron.

Arroz con pollo is just about my favorite Cuban dish. When I was growing up it was something special
when we had it. I have very fond memories of Sunday dinners over my Grandmother's house eating arroz
con pollo with all of my cousins. My mom and I were just talking about it the other night. I've got
to make some soon.

-Mike

Mike Pearce said:

"PENMART01" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:20040225211604.10161.00000319@mb-
m03.aol.com...

Quoted message said:

Made correctly arros con pollo is a lot more involved than paella,

especially

Quoted message said:

to get a nice thick 'bun' without it burning... you need a large (8-10qts)

well

Quoted message said:

seasoned cast pan (thick cast aluminum is best) and at least three hours

time

Quoted message said:

for it to bake in the oven.... and don't forget to include the gandules, manzilla olives, and
chorizo.

I know a lot of different Hispanic cultures make arroz con pollo and what you say may well be true
for some. My Cuban relatives would never think of putting it in the oven, using olives or adding
chorizo.

-Mike

Diddo. Never heard of olives or chorizo in the classic Arroz Con Pollo.

Rich

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Dum spiro, spero. (Cicero) As long as I breathe, I hope.