Yes, amigos, there are more ways to cook this classic Spanish dish than the typical method of toss-the-meat-and-veggies into the pot, add rice, liquid, stir, rinse and repeat. There's a whole new breed of chefs in Espana these days, as you surely know, who do all kinds of wild and wacky things with their native grub, so I thought I'd take my own stab at an original, though I owe a certain debt of gratitude to the CIA for the inspiraton behind this one. No, not that CIA.
THE BARON'S DECONSTRUCTED PAELLA
24 medium prawns, peeled and deveined
Juice of 8 medium limes
3 tbsp chipotle chile powder
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 medium plum tomatoes, stemmed and loosely chopped
1 large yellow onion, peeled, ends removed, cut into thin half rings
1 large clove garlic, unpeeled
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup diced jamon serrano
1 cup arborio, bomba or oher short-grain rice
Pinch of saffron
3 cups spicy red wine, such as a good quality Rioja
1/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
1/4 cup fresh or frozen corn, defrosted
Salt and pepper to taste
24 medium prawns, shelled and deveined
12 medium asparagus spears, trimmed, lower parts peeled, cut in half crosswise
1 medium sweet bell pepper, peeled and seeded, cut lengthwise into thin strips
Diced pimentos and cilantro for garnish
Place the prawns, lime juice and chile powder in a glass bowl. Stir to combine. Then cover and allow to marinate 45 to 50 minutes while you cook the remainder of the dish.
In a small saucepan, add the tablespoon of olive oil, then the onions. Cook over low heat until the onions have turned golden brown, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic clove, and continue cooking, uncovered, over very low heat until the tomatoes and onions have cooked down to form a sofrito, approximately 30 minutes. Set aside. Remove the garlic clove and allow to cool.
In a paella pan or wok over medium-low heat, add the 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the ham and cook, stirring frequently, 5 to 7 minutes or until the ham has started to brown. Peel and slice the reserved garlic clove into thin slices and add to the pan, stirring until fragrant, 1 minute. Add the rice, then the sofrito, and stir to combine until the rice has absorbed all the liquid in the pan, approximately 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste along with the saffron. Add the wine, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the liquid, approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally as needed. Add more liquid as needed if the rice seems too toothy to the taste. Two minutes before serving, add the corn and peas, folding in to heat through.
10 minutes before serving, preheat a charcoal grill or griddle pan. When very hot, add the asparagus spears and pepper slices. Grill, turning occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes.
Drain the prawns from their marinade, pat dry, then add to the grill, cooking 3 minutes per side until nicely browned.
To assemble the dish, place spoonfuls of the rice mixture in a timbal or small mixing bowl to form a circular mound, then set face-down on a dinner plate. Arrange the prawns and grilled vegetables around the rice. Garnish with pimentos and cilantro. Serves 4 as a main course.
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Vitelius