This paella is one of the best things I’ve ever made. I recently watched an episode of “Avec Eric” (with Eric Ripert, no pun intended) where he made a great looking seafood paella. And he made it look so simple. So, after consulting a few Food Network recipes, I was ready to give it a go. Because of this paella’s ease and beauty, I think it would be the perfect thing to make for your next dinner party.
First, chop up 1/4 cup of onion, a few garlic cloves, and 1 tomato. My tomato came from my most recent vegetable delivery, and it was so delicious. Why can’t grocery stores carry tomatoes like this one?!
Cover the bottom of a paella pan (or the widest frying pan you own) with olive oil, and sautée the veggies until they start to caramelize. It took about 5 minutes for my veggies to reach this state.
In the meantime, take a pinch of saffron and crumble it between your fingers into a small pot of broth (I used chicken broth). It’s important to crumble the saffron because it helps it infuse into the broth quicker.
Bring the pot to a simmer so the saffron can infuse. Saffron is used frequently in Spanish cooking and is fairly expensive because the strands are individually plucked from flowers.
Once your tomato, onion, and garlic caramelize in the olive oil, add 1 cup of arborio rice to the pan. Arborio rice is a short grain rice that is also used in risotto. Stir the rice around to coat it in the olive oil. Season it with 1 tablespoon of paprika, some salt, and some pepper.
Then, pour over 1 quart of broth, which includes the broth infused with saffron. Stir everything around, and let the pan simmer for 10 minutes. You can use this time to chop the vegetables you want to add to the paella. I cut up some asparagus, broccoli, and carrots. Because carrots take a while to cook, cut them into 1/4 inch strips.
Once the 10 minutes are up, you’ll notice that your rice will have expanded. Give everything a stir and then arrange your veggies into a nice pattern on top of the rice.
Once the veggies are in, nestle your shrimp into the rice. After 4 minutes of cooking, flip them over to cook on the other side. You could also sprinkle some peas over the paella at this point.
Your paella should start smelling pretty good. If you’re lucky enough to have a kitchen foot warmer, give her a little attention.
Once your shrimp have cooked for 4 minutes on both sides, most of the liquid in your paella should be absorbed and the rice should be nice and tender. Taste a piece of rice to check for doneness and seasoning. One of the best parts of paella is the crispy layer of rice at the bottom of the pan, so turn your burner to high for a minute or until you can smell your rice starting to toast. If you’ve smelled your rice toasting before this step, skip it. Let your paella rest for 5 minutes before serving so it can set. Then, squeeze over some lemon or lime juice to really make the flavors pop.
This paella serves 3-4 people. The vegetables were tender but firm and the shrimp were flavorful and perfectly cooked. I can’t wait to make this paella again so I can experiment with all different kinds of ingredients. Let me know how it turns out for you!
My neurosis extends to other, similar areas as well. I particularly hate it when someone else’s hair brushes against my skin, and I refuse to eat food cooked by a stranger, assuming that stranger is not a professional chef. I have my mom to thank for that one (which has surely saved me from many unwashed hands and stray hairs) because we were always forbidden from taking homemade treats from bake sales or cake walks. Unless you know I love you, please don’t invite me to a pot-luck dinner.
Amid my disdain for most things from strangers, there has been one bright, vintage treasure in my life. And of course, I found it in Paris. In a small antique store in the Marais. Amid yellowed school supplies and rusted house numbers. I found the perfect, stray, little shot glass. I love it’s thick glass, optimistic, yellow stars, and barely-scratched golden accents.
Of course, I washed it 101 times and have used it only once in a true moment of shotglassness. But every time I look at it, I can’t help but smile at its whimsical charm. My little, Parisian treasure.
Making a quick breakfast hash is a fun idea when you’re in the mood to eat something different but still familiar. This one is super easy and pretty good, especially if you scramble eggs into it before serving. The key to making this hash is to put the longest cooking ingredients into the pan first.
While those are cooking, chop up some onion, asparagus, and cooked bacon (or turkey bacon). You can add anything else you like here too.
When the potatoes are brown, add in your onion. Cook them together until the onions start to sweat and caramelize lightly.
Then you can add in the asparagus. I love watching it turn bright green as it cooks… so pretty! If you’re in a rush, you can cover the pan to help the asparagus steam quicker. But my asparagus was very thin and cooked quickly on its own. Once the asparagus is tender and can be pierced easily with a fork, you can crack a few eggs into the hash and stir it all around until the eggs are cooked. This is my favorite way to eat it. Add in the cooked bacon right before serving so it stays crisp, and season everything with salt and pepper. Have a great and filling start to your day!