...I tasted my first and most scrumpti-ous-est Paella.
And I haven't tasted better Paella since!
It was not in Spain.
In fact, I've never been to Spain.
But I'd like to go to Spain!
But this here is not about Spain
This here is about PAELLA!
It's not like I seek it out, tasting every Paella in every Spanish restaurant in town. I don't go inviting myself to every Spaniard-American's house for a meal. And it's not like I've even tried cooking it...ever. It's when I have the opportunity to eat it, nothing beats my first Paella-love.
Wherever and whenever I have Paella, I never fail to compare it to my first Paella-love...
"This Paella is not like the Paella I had 5 years ago."
"This Paella is certainly not as tasty as the Paella I had 10 years ago."
"This Paella is okay but definitely doesn't come close to the Paella I had 15 years ago."
"This Paella is no Paella....not like the one I had 21 years ago."
People are sick of hearing it!!!
At a Holiday gathering this past Holiday Season, a "white elephant" gift was "conveniently" dropped into my lap. It was, yes, a Paella Pan.
Recap:
"You wanna trade?" wink wink
"Uh, okay?" I say. Drop into lap.
I believe it was one of those Just-Make-It-Already-And-Then-Invite-Me-Over-For-Dinner gifts.
So this year I decided to be In Pursuit Of Perfect Paella.
12 months, 12 Paellas.
Criteria:
One Paella per month
8 taste-testers per Paella
1 bottle Spanish wine per 2 taste-testers
Okay...this will be fun! I can impress or disgust. Either way it's fun.....with wine!
January, First Paella...
The pursuit begins. First, the recipe search. First time preparing my first Paella shouldn't be too complicated, right? But no matter which recipe, I realize it's going to be a challenge. What makes a good Paella? Apparently, perfectly cooked rice. You know how many times I un-perfectly, un-correctly and un-satisactorily-ish cook rice for normal dinners? Maybe 70% of the time (according to The Husband).
So, Nerves on high alert!
I decide on using three different recipes from various online sites. I choose the one with the cheap seafood, the one with the wine, and the one with the garlic and thyme. I plan to marry the three. After a little mixing and a little tweaking...or a lotta tweaking...I intend to make a pretty good Paella...well, a Paella, anyway.
First Guinea Pigs??!!!
Quib & CeCe and NaK & MaK. I call them up....AVAILABLE!!!
Two hosts, two couples, two teenagers and a Paella pan. 8 taste-testers plus wine! Perfect!
I decide to choose the seafood according to what Costco's seafood of the day was...and cheap. Score! Really? That many mussels for 14 bucks? Snag! I grab some frozen shrimp to accompany! It was lookin' to me like it was going to be a Shrussel Paella that night!
Next...I prep all the ingredients like I'm prepping for a cooking show. So... much to cut, chop and measure...8 ramekins, 3 measuring cups and 2 hours later, I had it all together. Maybe?
The Husband helps prepare the BBQ. The table is dressed and wine glasses are set out.
All was in order. And....I had Domino's Pizza on speed dial!
Quib & CeCe arrive. With Saffron in hand....for Me...from their Holiday visit to Spain!!!
Quib takes charge of the Pour of the Wine. CeCe takes charge of making sure I'm on task. You see, CeCe has done this before...plenty of times. Quib takes his throne at the counter, sips his Spanish wine and, from time to time, reminds CeCe not to be the boss of me. She finally resolves to let me run my course with recipes, without, of course, not throwing in a couple last minute tips...ok reasonable tips...I use them...and mostly likely they prevent another rice-FAIL. Thank you, CeCe.
NaK & MaK arrive. NaK, proud of her new finds in wines. Quib, once again, takes charge of the Pour of the Wine. We sip new wines. And we throw the paella onto the grill! The BBQ lit up! Laaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!
The Paella was Mesmerizing!
The Paella SPARKLED!
I now am REALLY excited...if it doesn't taste fabulous, it's gonna look fabulous!!!
Just a 'lil more work:
Add the broth
Shake it up
Add the broth
Shake it up
Shake it up
Shake it..shake it...shake it
Add broth...
Add mussels...
...and DONE!
I put on the mitts, grab that Paella, and prepare my best Oprah-yell-out-to-the-audience-voice before walking into the dining room...goods in hand...
PAAAAEEELLLLLLLAAAAAA!!!!!!
The table is seated. Even Her Highness has a place...with the adults! Shocking! "A", though, prefers Jason Statham's company to Adults-With-Wine. That's okay. He's eating the Paella...no love lost!
(...disguised to protect the innocent!)
By now, it is 9:00 pm...everyone, starving and tipsy! Perfect...right where I need them! At the table we Oooo'd and Aaaah'd. We served. We ate. The rice perfect. Yay for me! The seafood delicious. Yay for me! Suggestion: a little more Saffron ($cha ching$). My suggestion: Maybe a little more herbs. Good, not perfect.
Consensus: Thumbs up from all! Yay for me!
Beginner's luck, my mother says. Give me 11 more months of beginnings, I say.
What a great evening! By the end of the evening, I realized the experience was more about the fun in the preparation and sharing the evening with good friends and family. The end result was just the icing on the cake.
I'm still in pursuit! Yet I keep Domino's Pizza on speed dial!
Stay tuned!
Ciao for now!
k
If you want to check out the recipe, go to In Pursuit of Perfect Paella under my blog favorites
or inpursuitofperfectpaella.blogspot.com
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