I love Spanish food- And seeing as I owe the guests of my cooking class on Spanish Cuisine a few of the recipes we made, I am also sharing them here. The Paella is one of my secret loves and always makes for a wonderful one pot, sexy meal. You will be the star in your own kitchen as I always am, when you pull this one out- Its best served barefoot, so as to add to the ease with which it should be consumed! Enjoy-
Paella for 8
2 small links of spanish chorizo, casing removed and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
1 tbsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of saffron, ground with 1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of dijon mustard
2 cups of arborio or other short grain rice
4 cups of chicken broth
8 large shrimp
8 calamari tenacles
1 pound of mussels
8 chicken legs
1 c of thawed frozen peas ( the frozen ones stand up better than the fresh which tend to fall apart )
1 cup of canola or grapeseed oil
1-2 tbsp of salt
To begin,
Combine chicken legs, the paprika, 1 tbsp of salt and 1/2 c of oil in a large plastic bag, shaking to coat- set aside
Combine Shrimp and calamari, 1 tsp of salt, half the garlic and 1/4 c of oil and dijon mustard in a plastic bag, toss to coat and set aside
In large Paella pan, add 2-3 tbsp oil once heated, and add chicken, cooking until juices run clear when pricked with a toothpick. Remove:
In same Paella pan *, leave the oil and add chorizo and render. Once the chorizo has rendered its own red orange oil ( about 3-5 minutes) add onion, bell pepper, remaining garlic and slowly saute until opaque and cooked through… ( do not overcook) * if oil is burned from chicken, remove and add chorizo to clean, dry pan.
Add in rice and toast rice for 3-5 minutes until the rice turns slightly opaque before adding in chicken broth. Once broth reaches a slow rolling boil, add in saffron and salt mixture and turn down to simmer. Add 1-2 tsp of salt before covering.
Take another saute pan and once hot, add 1 tbsp of oil, then add shrimp and saute for 2 mintues each side. Remove immediately.
Take a peek at rice, and if it has absorbed 2/3 of the liquid, add in your peas, squid, shrimp and mussels. Once the rice is almost finished, ( adding liquid by the 1/4 c full if liquid runs out and rice is still not cooked,) add in your chicken and cover. A crust is good, so don’t worry if your rice sticks to the edge of the pan. Most Importantly is that the ingredients in the rice are cooked as is the rice- Remove once cooked and serve immediately.
asparagus wrapped in jambon w lemon chorizo aioli
1 pound of fat asparagus, ends trimmed
1/4 pound of thinly sliced spanish ham- serrano, iberico etc
1 c mayo
1 lemon
1/2 c spanish chorizo
1 tsp of prepared horseradish
salt and pepper to taste
steam asparagus for 3 minutes- set aside
render the oil from 1/2 cup of spanish chorizo, casing removed in a small saute pan.
take 1 c of store bought mayo, add juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp of horseradish and the chorizo oil and combine- add salt/ pepper if desired
place in small bowl and set out with asparagus
classic potato pancake
1 c grapeseed oil
4 large potatoes, pref yukon golds cut in 1/8 in slices using a mandolin
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced on the mandolin as well
1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 eggs
salt and pepper
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet, adding the onions and bell pepper first until cooked- remove then add more oil and the potatoes cooking those in batches until each one is fully cooked in the oil, removed and drained. Salt once hot
Take the eggs and beat well in a large mixing bowl, and then add in potatoes and press down into mixture. Let the warm potatoes, peppers and onions absorb the egg for 10-15 min. Add 1/4 c of oil to a very hot nonstick saute pan, and add the mixture spreading it out evenly over the bottom of the pan. Once the bottom begins to brown ( check after a few min with a pancake spatula, place a flat plate over the top of the pan and invert the pan so the pancake falls on the plate, sliding the opposite side of the pancake back into the saute pan from the plate and lowering heat to finish cooking- Entire process takes up to 10 mintues, depending on your heat, pan and confidence 
Serve at once
Serve at once
