Spanish Recipe

Difficulty: Medium
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced onions
1 each small-sized sweet red and green bell peppers, seeded, and cut into strips
1 cup drained, chopped canned tomatoes
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced dry thyme
1 (2 1/2 pound) chicken, cut into serving pieces, patted dry
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 chorizos, sliced into 1/4-inch thick half circles
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups short- or medium-grain rice, preferably Spanish Bomba
1/4 teaspoon ground saffron or saffron threads
5 to 6 cups simmering chicken stock
12 extra-large shrimps in their shells, shelled and deveined, leaving tails intact
12 hard-shelled clams, such as littlenecks, scrubbed
12 mussels, scrubbed
1 cup canned peas
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Minced fresh parsley

How to cook
 

Make the sofrito: In a heavy 12-inch skillet heat 3 tablespoons olive oil until hot, add the onions, and pepper strips and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring for 5 minutes more, until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In the skillet heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over moderately high heat until hot. Add the chicken and cook it, turning. Add sausages and cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and deglaze pan with 1/2 cup dry white wine.

About a 30 minutes before you plan to serve the paella, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 14-inch paella pan or shallow casserole at least 14-inches in diameter, combine the sofrito, risotto, and the saffron. Pour in 5 cups simmering stock and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat immediately and season with salt. Arrange the chicken, sausage, shrimp, clams, and mussels on top of the rice. Set the pan on the floor of the oven or the lowest shelf and bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Scatter the peas at random over the whole and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more or until all the liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender but not too soft. If necessary, add the remaining cup stock, if the rice needs to be more soft. Do not stir the paella once it goes in oven.

Let paella stand at room temperature covered with a cloth for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with the lemons and parsley.

Wine Suggestion: a Vina Pena Red

 Bon Appetit

Brice

Difficulty: Easy
Active Time: 35 min
Start to Finish: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings






An intense Mediterranean topping really brightens the flavor of this fish.

Ingredients 

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons capers (in brine), rinsed, drained, and coarsely chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 4 (6-oz) pieces mahimahi fillet (1 1/2 to 2 inches thick) with skin
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

How to cook

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 minutes. Stir in water and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, until onion is softened, about 1 minute. Stir in butter until melted, then stir in capers and lemon juice. Remove from heat and keep warm, covered.

Preheat broiler.

Pat fish dry, then brush all over with remaining tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Put fillets, skin sides down, on rack of a broiler pan and broil about 5 inches from heat until just cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.

Serve fish topped with onion mixture and sprinkled with parsley.

Wine Suggestion: a white wine, a Sauvignon Blanc - Domaine de l'Engarran - 2004 - VDP d'Oc - This vineyard is arguably one of the best in the Languedoc Region, always striving to improve its quality. It displays very developed and sophisticated aromas of grapefruit and lynchee. Crisp and powerful taste of kiwi and pineapple mixed with flowers. Long finish of buttered toast. It is definitely a vin de pays at its best, deserving an AOC ranking. This full-bodied white wine pairs well with grilled fish, as well as with medium-spicy Thai curries.

Bon Appetit

Brice