Quick Paella
My Sunday dinner was Paella made from the December 2003 issue of Everyday Food. I made a few changes to the recipe: I added a pinch of saffron to the spice mixture and left out the turmeric. I also used pork chorizo instead of chicken sausage. I would have added clams, but neither the supermarket nor the fish store had any. I wonder if clams are unpopular here in San Francisco.
The recipe is tasty and quick, but next time I make it I’ll likely add clam juice as a cooking liquid for the rice, along with the chicken stock and tomatoes, as I really wanted a bit more of a seafood flavor.
The first time I ever tasted paella was nearly 20 years ago when I spent a summer in France. The family I was staying with went on August holiday, to visit family, to the village of Uzes. There I visited the nearby cities of Nimes and Avignon and went to my first farmer’s market where I still remember the pungent smell of lavender wafting from sellers’ booths.
In fact, it was a summer of many culinary firsts including; goat cheese, beignets, pain au chocolat and of course, paella. I don’t remember the details, but the family was having a large party just outside the village, somewhere in the Cevennes, and to my surprise out came a giant pan of rice and seafood. I remember the family wanted to be sure I had a chance to taste all the seafood–including the head-on shrimp. I was a little horrified. At 15 I was much more squeamish about food than I am now. I think I passed along the little shrimp to another diner and then took delight in the rest of the savory dish full of bold and new flavors.
Yum! I love paella and a quick version is most welcome. Sorry you couldn’t find any clams, they aren’t usually that hard to find. Try a place that specializes in seafood like Swan’s on Polk or New May Wah on Clement.
You read my mind, I was just talking with a friend about Spain & thinking that I should use the hard sausage in the refrigerator to make Paella.
I’m nuts for the recipe that appeared in Cooks Illustrated last fall, but it’s more time consuming. I should give yours a try!
I love paella, but it is hard with a quick one to get a nice crusty rice. In this weekends Wall Street Journal they had a great article about paella. I have the Every Day Food Book..it is great for someone living alone in NYC.
You’re right-no crust with the quick paella, especially since I used a non-stick pan.
Thanks for this recipe. Since coming back from Spain, I’ve become a paella-head. I had problems with the crusty rice issue, and have been using the method in Anya von Bremzen’s The New Spanish Table which combines stove time with oven time. Preheat oven to 425. After you’ve added the stock, cook for about 7 minutes without stirring. Then put the pan in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, checking to see if it looks dry. If it does, sprinkle some liquid on top. Take it out of the oven, cover with foil, and stand for 5 mins. Then uncover and stand for 10 more. Make sure your handles are heat-proof, of course, but I found I can even get crust in a nonstick pan using this method.
Amy, yeah, I’m sure clams aren’t that hard to come by, but being from New England I sometimes forget that I now can’t run to any store at 4pm on a Sunday and find fresh clams.
Kristin,
“…the pungent smell of lavender wafting from the sellers’ booths…goat cheese, beignets, pain au chocolat…”
Your site, and your descriptions, are absolutely gorgeous. As if I ever needed more, thanks for the incentive to drop everything and move to the South of France.
I know they probably sound gross but the Chicken of the Sea Clam Pouches are actually REALLY good and would probably be good in Paella. You should give them a try. They also have a little bit of clam juice inside, which would be perfect and add to the seafood flavor!