Archive for April, 2007
22
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. The Dictionary also explains that in the Old French and Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on each side.
In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make. Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
This article is not a recipe but rather an outline that describes the three basic steps to follow to make a wonderful paella while leaving the reader (the chef!) the latitude to be creative and to make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.
First the rice.
Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free to experiment but know that paella contains a lot of ingredients and if you are unhappy with the end result with a particular type of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste. Basmati, brown or a mix with wild rice can add great taste and texture. Follow the instructions on the package with regards to washing and cooking the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and tomato. Heat a saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is hot (make sure that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive oil is carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot, throw in the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a nutty taste. Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or so. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften, mixing constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a bit cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of your own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that three to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none of the ingredients should stick but they should mix well together and soften. Once all the ingredients are combined, remove the saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas. Add enough peas to make a well balanced mixture.
Second the meat.
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.
Third combining it all.
Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
In short, the secret to preparing the perfect paella is to make it your own!
About the author:
You too, can manoeuvre in the unfamiliar waters of gourmet cuisine, with just a few well-learned techniques that are easy to master, and build a repertoire of literally hundreds of dishes and deserts. Let Geoffrey set you on the path today, to gastronomical delights! http://www.free-recipe-books.com
Written By: Geoffrey Cook
04
What is your favorite lamb recipe? Chops? Shoulder? Leg? Steaks? Grilled? Baked? Marinated? Rubbed?
Most of us run out of ways to prepare lamb before our mint jelly is finished. If young mutton ranks high on your list of preferences, youll be interested to know the Royal Cooks for the Mughal Empire in India were able to create a different preparation of lamb for each day of the year. Thats well over three hundred dishesfar more than todays cooks would be able, or inclined, to create.
Although other meat showed up in the Mughal cuisine, lamb was their meat of choice for both religious and geographical reasons. As Muslims they didnt eat pork. Large quantities of beef were unavailable in the predominantly Hindu country (India) they ruled. Fish and other seafood were unfamiliar and not easily available in their landlocked empire.
These wealthy Mughals, builders of the memorable Taj Mahal, lived a life of luxury, drama, and complexityan opulence which was reflected in their food. Any ingredient they wanted could be summoned to their table. Gold and silver foil garnished tops of food. Fifty different dishes would be prepared for a banquet. Multitudes of spices were daily ground for their meals.
A favorite Mughal lamb appetizer was muzbi. Its preparation began with a lamb breast. A marinade of garlic, onion, ginger, green chili, turmeric, red chili and garam masala was ground together then mixed with yogurt. Fatty cubes were cut from the marinated breast and dipped into a thin paste of crushed almonds, poppy seeds, and sesame seeds. Then the muzbi was quickly sizzled on hot stones. Several pieces would be served to each person on plates garnished with sliced onion, green chutney, and a wedge of lime.
You might not want nor have the facilitiesto prepare a whole fattened sheep and platter it on its back with its legs in the air, but the Mughal cooks did. First they liberally slashed the animal and filled each incision with spices. Then it was roasted on a spit. After the meat was cooked, the carcass was stuffed with flavored rice, whole roasted chickens, and hard-boiled eggs. The entire concoction was baked in a cauldron with butter, water, vegetables, rice, and more spices. The graphic shape wasnt always attractive, but the taste was a tantalizing combination of strong lamb, bland chicken and eggs combined with the snappy combination of spices, vegetables and rice. Large feasts required several of these plattered animals.
Mughal kitchens are gone but many of their recipes, some of them adaptations, are still favorites in many parts of the world. The preparations below use lamb without the complexity and over-the-top- richness so frequently found in Mughal food.
One is biryani which is a rice and lamb combination. Spices such as cumin, pepper, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, mace, nutmeg, and saffron are used in various combinations. Biryani is garnished with small sheets of edible silver leaf.
Another, ground lamb meatballs filled with hard-cooked eggs, is a visually stunning dish we can thank the Mughals for. When Nargesi Kofta is sliced, the egg in the middle is sunnily exposed, reminiscent of the narcissus reflected in its name.
A third is kababs, seasoned ground lamb shaped into elongated sausages around skewers. They are grilled or broiled and served with a sprinkle of masala and perhaps a sauce made from pistachios, almonds, cardamom and cream.
Lamb can be prepared with a variety of masalas, each changing the flavor of the finished product. Masala is a combination of spices, herbs and others seasonings ground or pounded together and is used as the base for Indian curry sauces. They are fresh daily, and adjusted to the current ingredients. Coconut, coriander, hot chilies, ginger root, garlic, and onions are enjoyed in addition to the powdered ingredients.
Complex lamb dishes involving extended preparations, significant staff and unusually large platters are limited to royalty and the very wealthy. For the rest of us, cookbooks provide a wide range of ingredients and methods that present lamb as a worthy entre.
A basic, home-style lamb curry for todays cooks is accomplished by creating a sauce and cooking it with the meat. Saut 2 chopped onions, four cloves of garlic, chopped fresh ginger, 1 t coriander powder, a pinch of turmeric, t cumin powder, t garam masala, 1 t chili powder. Add a cup of water and cook for 10 minutes. Add two chopped tomatoes and cook another five minutes. Now the curry sauce is ready for the 10 ounces of lamb cubes and 2 cups of water. Cook until done and serve sprinkled with chopped coriander leaves.
About The Author
Sandra Wilson is an author, teacher and international lecurer. Her historical fiction, TAJ, was inspired by visits to the “poem in marble” of the title several times during her four years teaching in India. For more information, go to www.taj-womanandwonder.com.
Written By: Sandra J. Wilson