Blackhearts Paella

We hit up the library today, and I HAVE to check out the cookbook section. It's a must, they're free, there are ones I've never even seen, and they have to have something I've never tried before. Where could I go wrong? Well lucky for me Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution was on the shelf. Beat to hell, but there, none the less. I have been looking for this book casually for about six months. I have two other cookbooks from Jamie, and I really support what he's doing as a whole. Even if I sometimes wonder how he uses so much bacon, and stills calls it healthy. Just because it's called pancetta, does not mean it's not bacon. So as soon as I get home, everyone looks through their finds and I search for new recipes to try out this week. Well lucky for you, page 292, in the Classic Fish section, there is a recipe for Paella.

I don't know what it is either, but it looks good! So I read Jamie's explanation of "traditional Paella." "This is a traditional dish from Spain that works like a dream." (Jamie's Food Revolution) What does Jamie Oliver know about traditional meals from Spain? My uncle is from Spain, and my cousins lived there for years. One of them recently went to school in Spain. Who better to know a traditional Paella recipe? So I immediately text my aunt. She later calls me and explains that paella is a variety of recipes from different areas of Spain. Cities up North would have seafood in the Paella and other would only have meat because that's what is available to them. I've decided that it's the gumbo of Spain. No one will like that but me, but basically you throw in your leftovers and almost overripe veggies with tasty saffron rice. And ta-da you have Paella.

I have changed the recipe a little. It's a must. Why bother posting the exact same recipe? So if you go to your local library and check out Jamie's Food Revolution, there will be some differences.

What you'll need:

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb American/ Mexican style chorizo
a small bunch of fresh Italian parsley
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 quart chicken broth, preferably organic
olive oil
a pinch of saffron
2 cups jasmine rice
sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 handfuls of frozen peas (or fresh of you can get them)
2 lemons

Items you'll need:

2 cutting boards
a small knife
a chef's knife
a large sauce pan
a deep frying pan or iron skillet
a large strainer
a rice cooker for the lazy people
2 large spoons

I'm thinking about getting some leftovers right now. This turned out excellent despite not really following directions.

Directions, or guidelines:

Make 2 cups of rice in the rice cooker

Peel and devein the shrimp

Pick and cut the parsley leaves and roughly chop stalks

Peal, half and roughly chop the onion and garlic

In the cast iron, drizzle some oil and heat.

Add parsley and the chorizo, cook for 3-4 minutes

Add the onions, garlic and shrimp, cook for another 5 minutes or until onion cooks down and the shrimp have become opaque.

In the large sauce pan, turn on heat and add 2 cups of chicken broth. Mix in the pinch of saffron.

Add rice and mix. Add additional chicken broth if the rice seems too dry.

Stir in peas and squeeze in juice of one lemon

Add everything in cast iron into the sauce pan with the rice without transferring all the grease residual from the chorizo.

Cook for an additional 5 minutes with the lid on. Taste and add salt pepper or chicken broth for taste or if the rice got too dry.

ENJOY!

 Yay for Paella!