What do you get when you have a pair of best friends since birth who grew up in homes with moms who have been friends since college and who both love to cook, which in turn gave them a love for cooking? After a year of talking about it and waiting to be in the same city, it was a Paella party at our house last night!
My daughter Samantha and her dear friend Ryan have a beautiful friendship that has weathered the normal growing pains of childhood friendships and has come full circle. Ryan came home this week for his spring break from medical school at The University of Miami with a plan for Paella night, which entailed he and Samantha shopping for all the ingredients needed and cooking the Paella with the rest left up to the moms.
I love that my kids love to cook and I especially love for them to cook for me! Knowing that the main dishes were taken care of, I started planning what the table would look like and deciding which Spanish appetizers and dessert I would make while Diana was in charge of finding the perfect wines for the night.
Some of my favorite serving pieces that we carried back from a trip to Europe were perfect for the table. My husband still groans about me making him carry them home on the plane and me making him crazy when stressing not to break them. I’d say it was worth it for so many reasons and using them tonight was definitely one! They worked well with a set of yellow dishes and other pieces from Pier 1 that I have, as well as the stripe placemats from Pottery Barn.
A tapas board and a potato frittata were perfect appetizer selections and enjoyed by all. The board included Spanish garlic mushrooms, manchego cheese, olive tapenade, marinated artichokes and olives, and a mound of prosciutto.
The idea of tapas is that the dishes should be small, bite-size pieces served in small bowls. Everyone helps themselves to whatever they would like. This was perfect as we all watched the Duke vs Michigan State tournament game. This quick and easy recipe was full of flavor. The sherry taste mixed with the garlic in the mushrooms was outstanding!
Champinones Al Ajillo, Spanish Garlic Mushrooms
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 10 large button mushrooms, quartered or 1 lb sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1/4 teaspoon Spanish paprika
- Ground black pepper and sea salt to season
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional to suit)
- 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped flat leaf parsley
- Quarter the mushrooms, chop the parsley and crush the garlic.
- Over medium heat, add the olive oil and saute the mushrooms for a few minutes. Next, add the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the parsley. Cook for an additional 5 minutes while stirring, then remove the pan from heat, add the chopped parsley and stir through.
- Serve hot with some crusty bread.
Tortilla Española
This is one of Spain’s classic tapas and so easy to make. A Spanish frittata is an egg omelet filled with potatoes and onion started in the stove and finished in the oven. This too was another very easy and delicious recipe!
INGREDIENTS
- 1 tablespoon plus 2 cups olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt
- 2 medium waxy potatoes (about ¾ lb.), peeled, cut into ¾” pieces
- 8 large eggs
- Heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and dark brown, 35–40 minutes. Let cool slightly.
- Meanwhile, heat potatoes and remaining 2 cups of oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until oil around potatoes begins to bubble; reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, but have not taken on any color, 10–12 minutes. Drain potatoes, reserving oil. Season potatoes with salt and let cool slightly.
- Combine eggs, onion, potatoes, and ¼ cup reserved potato cooking oil in a large bowl and gently beat with a fork.
- Heat 3 Tbsp. reserved potato cooking oil in a 10” nonstick skillet over medium heat (reserve remaining oil for another use). Add egg mixture and cook, lifting at edge and tilting skillet to let uncooked egg run underneath until bottom and edge of tortilla are set but the center is still wet.
- Set a large plate on top of skillet. Swiftly invert tortilla onto a plate, then slide back into skillet, cooked side up. Cook until center is just set, about 2 minutes longer. Cut into wedges.
Glasses were raised as we toasted the kids on their delicious versions of Paella. Diana went to one of her favorite wine stores in Zionsville, and as always, The Wine Guy had the perfect bottles to pair with both the seafood and chicken paella. The Burgans Albariño and Marques de Murietta were a perfect accent to the dishes.
Chicken Paella
INGREDIENTS
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 8 ounces smoked sausage thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 cups (about 11 1/2 oz) short-grain rice, such as arborio, Bomba or Valencia
- 6 cups chicken stock
- In an 18 to 20-inch paella pan, large Dutch oven or deep skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on one side, 5 to 7 minutes, then turn. Scatter the chorizo around the chicken.
- Cook, stirring the chorizo occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the chorizo is browned, about 5 minutes, then transfer to a bowl (if using a Dutch oven, transfer the chicken to a bowl and continue cooking the sausage until browned, 2 to 3 minutes more, then add to the bowl).
- Reduce the heat to medium; add 1 tbsp. oil, the onion, bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves and paprika. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice. Add 5 cups stock; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer, stirring occasionally and adding more stock by the cup if it’s too dry until the rice is almost al dente for 13 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken into thin strips.
- Increase the heat to high. Stir the chicken and sausage into the rice; season. Scatter with the peas; cook, without stirring, until the rice is al dente and forms a crust on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Top with the parsley.
Receta de Paella de Marisco — Seafood Paella Recipe
Paella de Marisco is a summer favorite in Spain for good reason — paella is the perfect base for whatever’s tantalizingly fresh from the sea.
INGREDIENTS
- 6 cups clam or seafood broth
- 1 tsp thread saffron
- 1 1/2 pounds firm-fleshed fish, cut in bite-sized pieces
- 1 dozen mussels
- 1 dozen small clams
- 12 large shrimp in shells
- Spanish sea salt
- 2 tbsp parsley, minced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
- 8 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 6 scallions, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 2 cups Bomba paella rice or Calasparra paella rice
- Lemon wedges
- Alioli (garlic mayonnaise)
- Heat broth in a large pot. Stir in saffron. Pat fish and shrimp dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and let sit 10 minutes. Use a mortar and pestle to mash parsley, garlic, thyme and 1/8 tsp salt into a paste; stir in paprika. Add water if necessary to form a paste.
- Heat 6 tbsp of oil in 15″ paella pan over medium-high heat and quickly brown the fish 1-2 minutes. Do not fully cook. Remove to warm platter. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil, onion, scallions and bell pepper to paella pan and cook until the vegetables are slightly softened. Raise heat, add tomato and cook until it becomes sauce-like, 2 to 5 minutes. Pour in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the pan. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring rice and rotating pan occasionally. Add all reserved fish (but not shrimp). Stir in parsley paste. Taste for salt. Do not stir after this point. Lower the heat, continue to simmer until rice is no longer soupy but enough liquid remains to continue cooking the rice (about 10 min.). Add extra liquid if necessary.
- Arrange shrimp, clams and mussels over rice, placing edges of mussel and clam shells so they open facing up. Cook, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until rice is almost done. Remove pan from the heat and cover with foil. Let sit 10 minutes. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve with fresh aioli.
Spanish Flan
I am convinced that my dad would have been very proud of my flan that I made for dessert. He was born in Argentina and I remember it being one of his favorite desserts. He would order it whenever it was on the menu and boy was he a critic always comparing it to what he remembered from his childhood. This creamy custard dessert was a perfect ending to our Paella party!
- 1 cup white sugar
- 3 eggs1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a 9 inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.
- To serve, carefully invert on serving a plate with edges when completely cool.
Life is about the times, not the things, and this was definitely a memory-making night that was enjoyed by all. We couldn’t leave the table without a plan for our next family cooking night so we already have a sushi making night planned for our families in May.
I hope this helps you plan a fun Paella Party night at your house soon!
