This paella is so pretty – spectacular, in fact. If you've
never made paella, then you might be surprised at how simple it is to create
such a special dish. All you need is time, a low flat oven proof pan and
saffron. If you have a paella pan, awesome! If not, I think a rimmed baking
sheet would work in a pinch. A metal pan will give you the best result – a crispy,
chewy, golden-brown bottom layer. I don’t really have quantities today –just trust your kitchen instincts and give this a try!
Here’s what
you need:
Vegetable
broth, warmed with a pinch of saffron (don't be shy)
Uncooked white
rice
Olive oil (don't be shy)
Chick peas
Other various
vegetables cut to bite size pieces. You can see I used red peppers, carrots,
cherry tomatoes and snap peas. Lemon wedges are also delish in paella. (Peas are classic also.)
Here’s what
you do:
Place the
paella pan on low heat and coat it liberally with olive oil. Sauté the rice and
chick peas in the oil, stirring constantly until the rice loses its pure white
color. Carefully place the pan in a hot oven (350 degrees) and carefully ladle
in some warm, saffron broth. Cover the rice with broth. Close the oven and wait
about 5 minutes. Without stirring, add more broth and wait another 5 minutes
until the liquid is absorbed. Continue doing this until the rice seems done but
resist the temptation to stir! I often drizzle more olive oil around the
perimeter of the pan to help create a crispy edge.
When the
rice is almost done, begin to add the veggies, in a decorative way. Add harder
veg first and allow to bake before adding the softer veg. If using lemon wedges,
add them last.
That’s it!
Simple, right? Serve with salad and a big glass of red wine.
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