Paella, Paella

I haven't posted in a little while because I have been incredibly busy. I have been trying to pick up shifts at work (I am on call), coach a high school girls varsity soccer team, have a mentorship (like an internship), oh, and I have been studying my butt off for my certification exam. Despite all of this going on I managed to find time to make a killer plate of paella.

I started by dicing half an onion and mincing three cloves of garlic. In a sauce pan I warmed some beef broth. Normally I use chicken broth, but I didn't have any. I also opened a can of garbonzo beans and then diced some pork jowl bacon as well as de-boned four chicken thighs. In a pestle and mortar I ground up kosher salt and saffron. I then added a garlic clove and made a paste with the salt, saffron, and garlic. I added a little bit of stock and then added it to the sauce pan to infuse into the broth. In my paella pan I seared the chicken, skin side down until it was golden brown and crispy. I then flipped it over to sear the other side. I removed the chicken and then added the bacon. Once it started crisping up I added the onion, followed by the garlic once the onion started turning translucent. I then added some sweet corn and the garbonzos. The rice followed. I used arborio rice, the same as used for risotto. If I can find it I like to use bomba rice, but arborio is similar enough that it works nicely as a substitute. You have to cook the rice a little bit in the oil so it can absorb the broth better and cook right. After a minute the chicken was added and then broth added to cover the rice. Over the next 20 or so minutes, broth was added once it was all absorbed. Once the rice is cooked, let the liquid evaporate and be absorbed so the rice on the bottom starts to caramelize. Oh, I almost forgot, I also added some time, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, salt, and pepper to season. On the side are some homemade pita chips.

I think it turned out good. It was a little different then other paellas I have made, mostly because of what I had on hand. But the flavors were there. The chicken and bacon were good, and the corn and garbonzos added depth and sweetness to it. The rice turned out perfectly with a nice brown crust on the bottom. Mel liked it a lot. She said it was her favorite one that I have made. She took leftovers to work, and one of her coworkers commented that it was comparable to paellas she had when she was in Spain. That was nice to hear. I think I will be making this one again.