Ingredients:
- 6 C chicken broth, canned or homemade
- 1/2 tsp. crumbled thread saffron
- 8 Tbls. olive oil
- 1 medium zucchini, quartered, & diced in 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium summer squash, prepared same as zucchini
- 2 medium bell peppers, chopped
- 6 large shiitake or other mushrooms, trim the stems and chop coarsely
- 1/2 C frozen or fresh peas
- 8 medium scallions, coarsely chopped
- 4 ripe tomatoes diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 3 celery stalks, peeled and diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 Tbls. minced parsley
- Kosher or sea salt
- 3 C imported Spanish or Arborio short grain rice
Directions:
Combine the saffron and broth in a pot and keep on the lowest heat possible – never more than that. In a separate pan, heat half of the olive oil in the largest saucepan, you can find. Add the “sofrito,” which is the diced onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. (I learned that from an Italian chef I worked for once, you can use sofrito as the base of everything!)
When the sofrito is soft, about 15 minutes, add the rest of the vegetables (EXPECT for the fresh tomatoes) coat them with the olive oil and stir. (almost constantly for about five minutes.) If the mixture seems dry, you may add a bit of stock to refrain from overdoing it on the olive oil, (all so you can save room for dessert!!) After the vegetables seem to soften, add the tomatoes and the rice and coat well with the entire pan mixture.
Pour in all the broth and bring to a boil. Taste for salt and continue to boil for about 5 minutes, stirring and rotating the pan on the stove, until the rice is no longer soupy, but there is sufficient liquid left for cooking. If you feel it is dry, add some broth. turn the heat to simmer and cover. Stir occasionally until the rice is tender. Add the parsley and any other seasonings you can find in the kitchen that you like. Serve warm and enjoy.
Comments:
From Kerri Quinn who says, “Note that there are hundreds of types of paella, with this recipe you can virtually add anything, from sausage to lobster. If you add meats, add them with the sofrito in the beginning. When adding seafood add them with the broth to avoid overcooking.
This dish and the Tortilla Espanola are the first culinary attempt I made the Jaffe family during my first experience at the house in St. John. (It was incredible!) I was hoping I could impress Rich’s family with my cooking.”
I remember this. Kerri was so instantly lovable! And her cooking was fantastic!