Weekend Cooking: Paella
Tesco had some good shrimp and mussels in stock, and I really wanted to take my lovely Le Creuset casserole (thanks Tiff!) for a spin, so I decided to try making and perfecting a paella recipe.
I’ve made this twice now, but am still not fully satisfied with the results. The first time I felt that the meats were not adequately seasoned and there was just way too much rice. The second time, I used a bit too much liquid so the rice turned out a bit mushy. Flavor-wise I think the rice was nice, but I really need to get the rice to liquid ratio right.
The following recipe has been tweaked with my notes on what I’d do differently next time. From the base recipe I added a few more herbs to the stock mixture, and salt the chicken and shrimp a little for a bit more flavor. I found using beef bacon resulted in a less salty dish and additional salt might be required, so I tried smoked chicken breast and it gave a nice smoky taste to the dish. I also chopped my onions and bell peppers using a food processor, for a finer cut as well as to save me a lot of time. I’d use a spicier sausage next time, though, for a bit more kick. Italian just tastes too herby and mild for me.
Try it out!
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