Chicken, Seafood and Chorizo Paella

I make this about once a month, the meats/seafood changes depending on the time of year.  Also i do not like Paella as dry as a bone which most recipes call for.  I get it pretty dry before i add the shell fish in and when the liquids are released it gives the Paella the moister it was lacking.

Ingredients 

6 to 8 chicken thighs, bone in of course - I have used bone in pork or lamb chops

6 links of Chorizo

18 to 24 medium size shrimp, pealed and de-veined

1 cup Squid rings, sprinkle a bit of the paprika on them and toss in a bowl and let sit before its their time to hit the pan 

12 to 18 Mussels, cleaned

12 to 18 little neck clams

8 to 10 medium size tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion diced

1 red bell pepper diced

6 gloves garlic, minced

5 teaspoons Pimenton Dulce, smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Saffron threads

2 teaspoons Merlot salt

2 teaspoon ground black pepper

handful of chopped Italian Parsley

Now for the rice, usually its allot of rice but i like about half SO

The way I like it;

2  1/2 cups Valenciano rice

5 cups homemade Chicken stock

2 cups dry white wine

The traditional way

4 cups Valenciano Rice

9 cup homemade chicken stock

2 cups dry white wine 

Directions

In a very large skillet or Paella pot over medium to high heat saute the Chorizo until skin is crispy and they have rendered off their wonderful oils. Remove and set aside to cool, then slice into 1/2 inch pieces.

Next sear the chicken thighs, about 5 minutes on each side.  You will know when to flip them when they release from the pan.  Do 4 at a time as to not over crowd the pan. Remove and set aside. Note: if there is not enough oil left in the pan add a few tablespoons of olive oil. 

Next add the onion and red peppers, saute until soft. Once onions and peppers are soft add tomatoes and cook until a soft paste, most of the water would have been released.  Note do not burn the tomatoes.  Once to a paste add the dry spice with the exception of the Saffron. Stir to warm spices.

Now add the rice, chicken stock, and wine to the pan and bring to a boil.  Add Garlic and Saffron, stir.  Reduce heat and place the all the chicken back in pan, along with the Chorizo. COVER, do not stir at any time during this process; cook until rice is soft, there might be still some liquid left but it will cook off in the next step.  Below is before the chicken is added, its a wonderful deep red.

Now remove lid and cook at the same low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated. The rice should be sticking to the bottom of the pan.  I check at the edge by pulling back the contents to.  Once this is achieved and the shell fish and cover.  Once you see the shell fish staring open add the shrimp and recover.  Once the mussels and clams have opened.  Remove from heat and Squid and set aside to rest for 5 minutes. 

Remove lid, add parsley and serve. 

Little Neck Clams and Chorizo

Little Neck Clams & Chorizo

A favorite dish of ours and very easy to make.

Ingredients

24 to 36 Little Neck Clams, scrubbed

3 links of Chorizo

1 small Onion, sliced

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 table spoons of home made chili sauce ( see last weeks post)

few sprigs of fresh Parsley, chopped 

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Place a large skill over medium high heat and sear off the Chorizo.  Once the links are nicely brown remove from skill, reduce heat and add the onions. 

While onions are cooking, dice Chorizo into small pieces and return to skill once onions are soft.

Next add the chili sauce, followed by the wine, increase heat.  

Once the sauce is beginning to boil add clams and cover.  Shake skill every minute or so.  Once clams have opened, usually about 3 to 4 minutes, remove skill from heat, transfer contents to serving platter, sprinkle on Parsley and serve with a toasted bread.

Enjoy Cooking 

Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillo Salsa

Now usually this is called Salsa Verde but since I have an issue using green bell peppers, or Chili's for that matter; and when you add in the red peppers and chili's it does change the color of the Salsa from green to a muted red, thus i call this Tomatillo Salsa.  

Ingredients

6 med to large Tomatillos

4 Pablano Peppers

2 Chili's of choice, seeded, I use either Jalapeno or Serrano 

1 large onion, quartered

1 Red pepper

4 cloves of Garlic

2 Limes zested and juices

4 sprigs of Fresh Oregano

Large bunch of Cilantro, chopped and stems removed

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground Ancho Chile pepper

Agave - to taste: I add a squirt or two to cut the acidity of the salsa

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 425

I usually do a triple batch of this recipe so that i can bottle this taste of "Summer".  We grew most everything I am using in this recipe and the balance are from local farms. Note: the Limes are not local, I am in North-East PA.

So I place all the Tomatillo on a foil lined cookie sheet and the onions, red bell pepper and the Pablano peppers on another foil lined cookie sheet.

Place in the oven for about 5 to 7 minutes for the Tomatillos and the balance remove once the peppers start to get a char.

In the Cuisinart place the Garlic, Chili's, ground Cumin and Ancho chili pepper, Oregano, Lime juice and zest and pulse, see below.

Next add the Cilantro, and pulse. 

Once the Tomatillo's have cooled, take up the foil from cookie sheet with Tomatillos and their juices and dump into the Cuisinart.  Pulse a few times to combine.

Once the Pablano's and the Bell peppers have cooled, remove the charred skins, and place in the Cuisinart along with the onions and blend until smooth.

Add Salt, Pepper and Agave to taste.

Chill for at least an hour before serving.  You can also can the Salsa, as shown in the above picture, which is why i usually multiple the recipe.

Enjoy Cooking 

Purple Basil Tomatillo Pesto

Ingredients

Large bunch of Purple Basil

1 Medium size Tomatillo

1/4 cup pine nuts

4 cloves roasted garlic

3 to 4 cups of cooked pasta

1/2 cup of the hot pasta water 

8 Cherry Tomatoes, cut in half 

1 cup Grated Cheese of Choice

Olive Oil

Salt & pepper to Taste

Directions

Pulse pine nuts and garlic together

Add Basil leaves and quartered Tomatillo, ( hold some of the smaller green leaves aside to garnish the dish) turn on CusisinArt and stream in olive oil until the desired texture is achieved, see below

Now its not the prettiest looking pesto but it looks better when the dish is finished.

Add pesto, salt and pepper, 1/2 of the cheese and a splash of pasta water to a large bowl and blend together.  Next add hot pasta and toss.  Add cherry tomatoes, reserved basil leaves and the balance of the cheese, toss one last time and serve.

See it looks much better when completed,

Enjoy Cooking 

Garlic Scape Pesto

Ingredients

4 bunches of Garlic Scape's

1 8oz bag of shelled Pistachios

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper 

Place Pistachios in CuisinArt  and pulse until ground as shown below

Next cut the tops off the scape's and chop up the stems. Do not throw away the tops, you can add them to sauces and soups.

Add the scape's to the CuisinArt and pulse to combine with nuts

Now turn on the CuisinArt and stream olive oil until the below consistency is achieved.

You can add the salt and pepper to taste at this time as well but i usually wait until I am using the pesto and add it at that time. 

Place in a jar and top off with olive oil, it will keep the pesto fresh and prevent browning. 

Note: sorry for the different light levels in the photos, it was sunny when i started the process but then we had a thunder storm roll through, so the light levels kept changing in each photo. 

Chili Sauce

Ingredients

3 large red bell peppers

1/2 to 3/4 of pound variety of dried chilis

(Arboles, Guajillos, California, Pasilla, Mulatos and Habaneros)

1/3 cup red vinegar

entire head of garlic, pealed

4 green cardamom seeds

3 tablespoon dried onions

1 tablespoon of ground Sumac, Cumin, bittersweet Paprika

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

First roast 3 large red bell peppers to they are black. Then while they are cooling. 

Take about 1/2 to 3/4 of pound of a variety of dried chilis, chop the tops off 

and shake out as many of the seeds as possible. 

Before the chili's are boiled

After 

In a 4 quart pot place a 1/3 of a cup of vinegar, I use red wine but any vinegar is fine, then fill the rest of pot to the 2/3 with water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat, add dried chilis to reconstitute them, stirring from time to time.

Next remove the skins, stems and seeds from the blacken red bell peppers and place in a Cuisinart along with balance of the ingredients, and pulse to a paste, hold off on the olive for a moment

Once the chilis are reconstituted, using tongs remove from water 

and in batches add the the Cuisinart pulsing to a paste, then add the garlic

Once all chilis have bee added, turn on Cuisinart and 

stream about 1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil, 

you a paste that will stand up and stick to the back of a spoon, see below.

Place sauce in a large jar then top off with Olive Oil to prevent browning, place in the Fridge, it will last about 6 to 8 months and when you remove some sauce from the jar re-top off will olive oil.

Watermelon Tomato Salad

Well I decided to add one quick Salad.  It is really simple.

Ingredients 

Half a small seedless watermelon, cubed

12 to 18 cherry tomatoes quartered

A handful of Basil, ribboned

2 Tablespoons of Balsamic Vinegar

3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil - I use a Blood Orange one

Salt and pepper to taste

Toss all in a large bowl and let sit for about half hour or more before serving 

( do give it a few tossing during the waiting time)

My return

Its been a wild ride the last year, moved to a new state, have changed careers, twice, but I am now focusing on what i love to do:

1. I will be opening a food store soon - i will keep you posted on all the details when this will happen.

2. My new cooking website will go live in the next few weeks .

3. And as you can see i have up dated my blog.

The above cookie, my reversed Toll House will be the opening recipe of my new Website.  Along with canning, new main dishes and much more.  Even though i have not been posting to my blog, i have been creating new dishes,  over 100.

So keep tuned and enjoy cooking - Andy