Paella – Vacationing in Truro, Bracketed by Hurricanes

So, we leave for Truro on the heels of last weekend’s hurricane whose name is already lost. The hurricane missed us and we’ve had great weather all week. Hurricane Danny is due on Sat, when we’ll be home.

On Monday, it was my stepdaughter’s husband Sam’s birthday. He wanted paella so I volunteered to make it. Rachel and I drove around P-town buying several hundred dollars worth of supplies which we took back to their house in the East End. The house overlooks the bay is painted sky blue and white and what it lacks in amenities more than makes up for in romance. I took a quick dip, then spent the afternoon prepping in their second floor kitchen looking out over the water.

First I dismembered two lobsters, apologizing first before the beheading. I sauteed the claws and tails and then chopped the bodies and sauteed them. Meat reserved, bodies into the stock pot with some onion and celery. Cooked down a cup of white wine, then added water to the top.

Sauteed chicken breasts and thighs, tossing the scraps into the stockpot. Deglazed the pan with more wine and added to the stockpot. I shelled 4 lbs of shrimp, fast and easy, since she wanted shrimp cocktail for an app as well. Shells into the stockpot, half the shrimp added to seasoned boiling water (pepper, garlic, some piri-piri hot sauce) and shocked after they turned pink.

Rather than roasting the red peppers, I sauteed them. In a perfect world, I’d've peeled them first. In a really perfect world, I’d have been able to roast them.

Sauteed some chicken livers and onion for pate, then chopped them by hand with my knife. I’d been told in no uncertain terms by Hannah, with whom we were staying, “No mess. No big meals.” I agreed, then  brought my knife, tongs, and quickread, all of which have come in handy.

Intermission. George, Rachel and Sam’s son and I went swimming for a bit to cool off and relax. I came back, took a quick shower, then started the paella.

In the big pan, sauteed a couple of links of chorizo and one of linquica, for sliced, for the oil and flavor. Removed the sausage when it was brown. Added some Portuguese olive oil and sauteed onions and garlic and the ends of the sausage chopped. Added the rice and when it was shiny, I reduced the rest of the white wine, risotto style.

Laid out the chicken pieces in the turkey roasting pan we’d bought, added the rice to and tossed in some frozen peas. Added six cups of boiling stock (for 4 cups of rice) and put in the oven at 350, covered, to bake.

That’s when things started to get a little out of hand. Forty five minutes later, the rice seemed uncooked so I upped the temp to 450 and waited a bit. Added the sausage, lobster pieces, and shrimp, covered and set it back in place. I’d figured another 30 minutes, so I steamed the mussels in a little of the leftover stock in one pot and the steamers in another. (I’d asked for clams, meaning littlenecks, but no mind, it all worked out.) The recipes have you steam the shellfish open in the paella, but I have never been able to do that successfully, so the plan is to steam them separately, add the liquid as the rest of the rice liquid, and top before serving.

The clams and mussels were done, the rice, when I tasted an edge, was almost mushy, so I figured it was time. I set everything out while we had the apps–chopped liva, shrimp cocktail, and smoked bluefish with red onion, capers, and sour cream.

So, the rice was mostly crunchy–should have checked more than the edge–and I never added the shellfish liquor. Everything except the rice and one lobster claw was done perfectly and everyone ignored the rice. We ate the mussels and steamers as the first course before the paella. George, 16,  made the birthday “cakes” — chocolate pudding lies in graham cracker crusts and we had a fine old time.

Only now, I want to make paella again, this time perfectly.