Calasparra Rice And Rabbit Paella
Olive Oil
1 rabbit -- cut into small pieces and salted (or chicken, thighs for
best flavor)
2 large ripe tomatoes -- peeled, seeded and chopped
1 gallon plus 1 quart water -- lightly salted
4 1/2 cup Calasparra Bomba rice
2 large pinches of saffron filaments -- lightly crushed and soaked
in a little hot water
2 large red peppers -- roasted and peeled, and cut into broad strips
(or use piquillo peppers)
4 garlic cloves
A bunch of fresh parsley -- chopped
Extra fresh parsley -- to garnish (optional)
Heat some olive oil in a frying pan and brown the pieces of rabbit.
Remove from the pan, then add the tomatoes to the pan and cook until
soft. Set aside. Put the water into a large pan and bring to a boil. Add
the rabbit and cook for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock. As Maria
says, "Not everyone takes the trouble to make the broth, so they use the
water for the rice instead, but of course it won't be so good." Reheat the
tomatoes, and stir in the rice until it is lightly toasted and has
absorbed all the surplus oil. Put the stock and rabbit pieces into the
Paella pan (we're talking muy grande here - Maria used one about 3 feet
in diameter, propped up on special burners available for this purpose.)
Bring to a boil and sprinkle in the rice and tomatoes, saffron, garlic
and parsley. Finally arrange the peppers over the top.
"Once the rice is in the pan, DON'T STIR. This is HERESY. ABSOLUTELY
FORBIDDEN!! Just leave it alone. If you must, you can gently shake
the pan by the two handles, but THAT'S IT."
The rice must bubble fierce and fast on a high heat for 10 minutes
(by the clock); imagine each little grain jumping for joy. Turn down
the heat a little, and leave to cook for another ten minutes.
When the time is up, turn off the heat, cover the pan with a clean
cloth or foil and leave the rest for 15 minutes. This us VERY
IMPORTANT, but "the trick is to turn off the heat just before the
rice is cooked, as it will keep on cooking in the pan. It's a
question of judgment. You've got to learn the precise moment, that's
where experience comes in. If it is cooked for too long, the rice
will become like chewing gum. And NEVER add extra water. If all the
liquid has evaporated before the twenty minutes are up, turn off the
heat and cover the rice. It is ABSOLUTELY FORBIDDEN to add extra water.
By now the rice should be ready to serve, but in fact it improves the
longer it "relaxes" in the pan. Which makes it perfect for seconds.
Or thirds. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you want it to look nice
in a photo, but the refinement is unnecessary.
From 'The Spanish Kitchen' by Clarissa Hyman
Recipe Notes
This recipe is made with fresh rabbit; chicken makes a fair
substitute, although the taste will differ. Like many rice and paella
dishes, it is best cooked over a wood fire, scented with rosemary and
vine cuttings. Apart from the scent, this ensures that the bottom and
sides of the pan are subject to constant heat. The dish, however, can
be cooked perfectly well on an ordinary stove, using all the burners,
or in two paella pans if you don't have a single large one. Place
each pan over two burners and turn around from time to time in order
to keep the heat even. Do the same if you scale down the ingredients
and only use a single pan (this is easy as long as you keep the rice
and liquid proportions the same).
Note, as a general rule, when using Calasparra rice allow a ratio of
1 measure of rice to 3 or 3 1/2 measures of liquid; if using
Calasparra Bomba rice, allow a ratio of 1 measure of rice to 4 or 4
1/2 measures of liquid.
Servings: 10 - 12
Exported from A Cook's Books -- Recipe management for Macintosh
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