Culinaria Elena

City & Country Cooking for the Home Cook

[ewrightson]

Paella con Pollo y Mariscos (Paella with Chicken & Seafood)

          I made this Paella with Lundberg Sushi rice, a really good substitute when you cannot find Bomba rice. I had to adjust the liquid-to-rice ratio a tad, as Sushi rice can’t hold as much as Bomba. So instead of my usual 6 cups liquid to 2 cups rice, it was 51/2 cups to 2. The result was perfect!

You will need:

          5 ½ cups of chicken stock

·         A good pinch of saffron threads, broken with the back of a spoon

·         8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on

·         ½ cup diced pancetta*

·         Olive oil

·         1 medium red onion, diced

·         1 large, or 2 small red bell peppers, diced

·         1 teaspoon paprika

·         2 cups Lundberg Sushi rice

·         1 lb. medium uncooked shrimp

·         16 clams, scrubbed

·         16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded

·         ½ cup frozen peas, defrosted

·         Salt & Pepper

·         Lemon wedges for garnish

Preheat oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan bring the stock and saffron to a simmer.

Season the chicken thighs with salt & pepper. Heat the paella pan on medium-high then add enough olive oil with which to sauté the chicken. Place the chicken, skin side down in the pan and brown well. Remove chicken to a sheet pan, skin side up and finish cooking in the oven. Meanwhile, add the pancetta to the pan and fry until just beginning to crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Sauté the onion, bell pepper and paprika until softened. Remove and add to the bowl with pancetta.

Add about 1 TB olive oil to the pan, heat for a few seconds, then add the rice. Stir until the rice is evenly coated and just beginning to brown. Add the stock and the reserved vegetables and pancetta, then season with salt & pepper to taste. Give it all a good stir until evenly dispersed. Do not stir again!  (this is how the Socarrat is achieved). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes. The chicken should be done.

Push the chicken thighs into the rice. Spread the shrimp around the chicken, push the clams and mussels, hinge-side down into the rice. Reduce heat to low and simmer another 10 minutes, then sprinkle in the peas. Continue to cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes more. Remove from heat and let stand another 5 minutes. Garnish and serve.

*I used pancetta in this version because it’s what I had on hand. Sliced Spanish chorizo is my favorite but diced ham works too, or you can omit the swine altogether!

[ewrightson]

Winner Winner, (súper rico) Chicken Dinner.

Adjust the racks in your oven so the roasting pan is in the bottom third, then preheat to 400°.

Make a bed of veggies, alliums, and herbs.  For this one, I used:

2 Fennel Bulbs, 1 Leek, 1 Onion, 2 Carrots, 1 Yukon Gold potato, 2 whole bulbs of Garlic, several sprigs of Thyme and Rosemary, and 2 Meyer Lemons. 

Course-chop the veggies then toss them with Kosher Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil. Dump them into your roasting vessel of choice. 

Slice the garlic bulbs in half, and the lemons into wedges. Place them around the roasting pan then give them a good drizzle of olive oil. Scatter the Thyme and Rosemary on top. Add about a 1/4 cup of a dry white wine, (I used a Sauvignon Blanc), or chicken stock.

Spatchcock a chicken then season the underside well with salt & pepper. Drizzle the skin side with olive oil, then season with salt & pepper. Place the chicken atop its bed, then roast for about an hour, depending on the size of your bird. It will look something like this when it’s done:

Serve it with a good, fragrant rice, such as Jasmine. You’ll be happy.

[ewrightson]

Chicken Thighs with Preserved Lemon & Castelverano Olives

I make this chicken dish often, it’s simple, quick and delicious.

You will need:

2-6 Chicken Thighs

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Thyme & Rosemary sprigs

5-8 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and smashed, (I use the flat side of my knife to do this)

Chicken Stock, homemade is best but the kind in a carton will do

½ cup pitted Castelverano Olives, halved

1 Preserved Lemon, meat discarded and rind sliced thinly

Rub the thighs with olive oil, then liberally salt & pepper them.

Put enough olive oil in a preheated, medium-high heat, sauté pan to coat the bottom then let the oil become hot but not smoking. Place the chicken thighs in, skin side down and do not move them until they are nicely browned and the skin is crisp.Turn them over and reduce heat to medium. Add thyme and rosemary sprigs, garlic and enough chicken stock to come up the sides of the chicken, but do not submerge the skin. Cook uncovered until the chicken is done, about 20 minutes. 

If the stock is evaporating too much, add more.

When the chicken is done remove the thighs from the pan and keep warm on a plate. Add the lemon slices and olives to the pan and let reduce enough so that the sauce thickens.

A this point you can also whisk in a pad of butter if you’d like, it adds a nice flavor and gives a silkier texture to the sauce. But it’s great without it too!

I like to serve these over pearled couscous or jasmine rice, but don’t use regular couscous, it’s too fine. Plate the chicken on a bed of couscous or rice then spoon the sauce over it. Enjoy!

A note on the quantity of/and ingredients: The quantity of olive oil, garlic, etc, all depends on how many thighs you use.

[ewrightson]

Lazy Mac & Cheese

I had a couple of chunks of cheese in the fridge and thought Mac & Cheese sounded like the best use for them, as both were good melters with flavor.

I minced some garlic and sautéed it in about 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once softened I added 4 Tablespoons of flour, 1 teaspoon of paprika, some minced fresh rosemary and a few good shavings of nutmeg. This was my roux base. Once the flour had that nutty smell I gradually added 3 cups of warmed milk, whisking continually. When it had thickened enough to coat a spoon I removed it from heat and added the grated cheeses, (about 4 cups), ½ Gruyere and ½ Kingdom cheddar. Once the cheeses had melted I added a pound of penne pasta, which was slightly undercooked. A wild sow that my partner shot with his bow, provided the bacon that I tossed in and also sprinkled on top, along with more cheese and some panko crumbs.

All that was left to do was to put in the lower third of the oven, with the broiler on for about 8-10 minutes. It came out beautifully.

[ewrightson]

Another one of Aaron’s beautiful and delicious cheese & charcuterie boards. Such a treat! #cheeseboard #yummy #foodporn

[ewrightson]

When simple is best: rough-chopped, raw heirloom tomatoes with torn basil leaves on squid ink spaghetti, finished with a drizzle of California Olive Ranch Everyday olive oil. Delicious! #summerpasta #weekdaydinner #californiaoliveranch #local #yum

[ewrightson]

World Market had a Spanish food event which featured Paella ingredients, so naturally I had to try some. For this mixed Seafood, Chicken & Chorizo Paella I bought their Calasparra Rice, Palacios Chorizo and Aneto Seafood stock. I usually use chicken stock but this stock added a little more depth of flavor. 🥘 #paella #sogood

[ewrightson]

#Sangria, the perfect #summertime beverage. We use a couple of bottles of a fruity Zin, farmers market peaches, Valencia oranges and some Triple Sec. Now it just needs a stir and a couple of hours in the fridge. We serve it with a good splash of Pellegrino or if we’re feeling frisky, Prosecco! #summertimeinapitcher

[ewrightson]

Look what Aaron gave me! He found this giant where he was working. I’ve never seen a Morel this large! But what to make with it... #wildmushrooms #shroomsitswhatsfordinner

[ewrightson]

A toast to all of our brave women and men, I thank you. #memorialday (at Scotty's Landing)

[ewrightson]

My dinner cheese plate: Ossau Iraty, d’Affinois Bleu, and fresh Chevre marinated in California Olive Ranch Miller's Blend olive oil, with Prosciutto, Capocollo, Artichoke Hearts, Organic Apricots, an Olive Medley and a crisp Fuji Apple. #tootiredtocook #yum #cheese #artisnalcheese #californiaoliveranch

[ewrightson]

One of the girls has gone rogue and is refusing to lay in the coop! #backyardchickens

[ewrightson]

Clean-out-the-fridge Paella. I had a chicken, some pancetta, and a link of Spanish chorizo, so all I needed to buy was the shrimp. I made this using #kodafarms Kokuho Rose medium grain rice, and it was every bit as good as Spanish bomba rice. The whole dish was dee-lish!

[ewrightson]

A sheet-load of soon- to-be Venison Swedish Meatballs #wildgame #venison #yummy

[ewrightson]

B St Beignets & Hot Chocolate #yummy

[ewrightson]

Happy Christmas to all!

[ewrightson]

World Series TV dinner: Venison & Wild Boar meatballs. #yum #wildgame #foodporn