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Party paella + Taylors Wines giveaway

4/12/2013

 
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'Is not possible!. He tell me I not know how to make-a paella! I tell him paella is-a Spanish, not Cockney-stinking eel pie! I make-a paella like my mama! My mother's recipe is big in Barcelona!'
                                                                 — Manuel (the waiter) to Basil Fawlty, The Anniversary Party, Fawlty Towers

In an hilarious episode of Fawlty Towers, Manuel (the bumbling Spanish waiter), has a total meltdown because Terry, the hotel's chef, won't let him cook paella to his mother's recipe which, he explains to hotel owner, Basil Fawlty, in broken English, 'is big in Barcelona'. Fawlty, meanwhile, has been running around in his usual manic state trying deal with the fact that his wife stormed out of the hotel thinking Basil has forgotten their 15th wedding anniversary. Fawlty has invited some close friends to a surprise party to celebrate, and panics when he feels the need to explain Sybil's absence! Of course he concocts a crazy story about her being in bed with puffy thighs, and the fun begins...
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As patriotic as Manuel, paella is the iconic Spanish dish, with numerous variations across the different regions of the country. In my 1992 edition of The Spanishwoman's Kitchen, author Pepita Aris writes that 'Paella's history is a short one, for Spain's most celebrated dish is less than 200 years old...  [and was] invented by [peasant] men, combining fish and meat [originally eels, snails and green beans] in rice for the first time...  and every village has its tio, uncle-expert, who will hold forth on how to make it.' Truth be told, paella is not that difficult. Freshness of the ingredients is important, as is the quality and provenance of the rice and the saffron. At a certain point in the cooking, when all the ingredients have been added to the pan, the paella must not be stirred. Towards the end of the cooking time, the heat increased just long enough to form a golden crust on the base of the paella. And it goes without saying that the dish should be served with good wine!

The ingredients...

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The recipe...

PAELLA*
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
200g chicken tenderloins, cut into bite-sized cubes
125g chorizo, cut into 1cm slices
1 squid tube (180g), sliced into rings
12 large green prawns (shell half & leave the tails on, leave the rest in their shells)
6 mussels, cleaned

For the soffrito:
1 red and 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), diced
1 large brown onion, diced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1.5-2 litres (hot) chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon Spanish saffron threads, infused in 1 tablespoon of the stock+
2 teaspoons sweet or smoked paprika+
450g Spanish paella rice
sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
lemon wedges, to serve

Most importantly, have all your ingredients measured, chopped, sliced, diced and set onto platters before you start cooking. Heat half the oil in the paella pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook until sealed on both sides, adding more oil if needed. Remove and set aside. Now cook the prawns and squid for a couple of minutes, then remove and set aside.

Heat the remaining oil and make the soffrito, which comprises the capsicums, onion, garlic and tomatoes, sauteed until until the vegetables are tender and the liquid has reduced and you have a paste like mixture. Add the wine, rice, paprika, saffron, chicken, chorizo, squid and the prawns that you've shelled to the pan together with the boiling stock, stir, then lower the heat. Arrange the mussels and remaining prawns (in the shells) over the top and poke them into the rice. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Simmer the paella over a low heat for around 15-20 minutes, but don't stir it any further at this stage. You will know that the paella is cooked when the rice is al dente but not too dry, and all the stock has been absorbed. In the last minute or two (no more), turn up the heat so that you can caramelise the bottom of the paella to get a nice socarrat, or crusty base. Drizzle with a little more extra virgin olive oil. Turn off the heat. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and allow the paella to rest for about 10 minutes. Serves 6-8. 

For a party paella, allow your guests to serve themselves straight from the paella pan, which has centre stage on your table (on a trivet!). Serve with wedges of lemon and suitably chilled wine, such as Promised Land Moscato. 

Notes: 
* This quantity is suitable for a 40cm paella pan. 
+ I used Herbie's Paella spice blend with saffron (1/2 teaspoon per cup of stock).

The process in pictures...

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Buen apetito...

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AND NOW FOR YOUR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 
TWO BOTTLES OF TAYLORS WINES!

Thanks to the generosity of TAYLORS Wines, I have some excellent wines to give away to readers of Good Things. Two lucky readers will each WIN two bottles of wine: Taylors Estate 2012 Chardonnay and Promised Land Moscato. 
 
Established three generations ago in South Australia’s beautiful Clare Valley, Taylors Wines is a family-owned Australian wine company that was born from a passion of producing exceptional,  hand crafted wines. With a philosophy that embraces balance, elegance and finesse in every wine, Taylors truly brings great wines to life. From a velvety Cabernet Sauvignon to delicate and refreshing Riesling, Taylors Wines boasts a world-class collection of unmistakeable quality and style. Plus, with a comprehensive Environmental Management System and a commitment to sustainability, Taylors Wines understands that green is just as important as red and white.

To be in the running to win, (subscribe to Good Things in the box below, if you haven't already) and tell me in 50 words or less about a 'meltdown' that took place in your kitchen. Perhaps you were in a flap because you burned the roast when the boss was coming to dinner...  or, worse still, you forgot to turn on the oven or defrost the turkey! What happened? Do please share your funniest stories.

Readers, make sure that you enter your current email address (one you check regularly!) with your comment so you can be reached in the event you're selected as the winner. The competition is open to Australian readers only (with apologies to my overseas readers) and closes at midnight on 12 December 2013 AEDT. 

NB: the winners must be of legal drinking age and provide proof of age. Good luck!

Thank you to all who entered my competition! 
And the winners are…  Kyrstie B and Amanda Gorton! I will be in contact with you via email.


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The Taylors Wines prizes...

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Prizes pictured above: Taylors Estate 2012 Chardonnay and Promised Land Moscato 

Manuel the 'chef' has a paella meltdown at 8.05 in the Fawlty Towers clip below... enjoy


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Catherine@farmousehome
3/12/2013 03:45:42 pm

Oh very funny, I was a big fan of Fawlty Towers like alot of people! I recently bought a paella pan and have enjoyed making a couple of paella's in it when I've had friends or family around.

One kitchen meltdown I can think of is when I made a chocolate tart for a dinner party, one of the guests was a friend who's a very good Chef, so I wanted to impress. All was good until it came to dessert and realised I'd left the Chocolate Tart on top of the microwave to set not realising the microwave was being used constantly throughout the evening and the top of it had become hot. Causing my tart not to set. It was served as a gooey mess much to my embarrassment. Thanks for the giveaway Lizzy ox

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella link
3/12/2013 05:14:26 pm

Hehe poor Manuel! He was one of my favourite characters on Fawlty Towers! :P Your paella looks mouthwateringly good Lizzy!

Lizzy
4/12/2013 10:11:25 am

He he he, mine too, Lorraine. Thanks for your kind words. : )

Krista link
3/12/2013 08:59:32 pm

That is one of my favorite episodes! I'm sitting here chuckling just thinking about it. :-) My most recent bomb was putting Roma tomatoes in the oven to dry and completely forgetting them. THANK GOODNESS they didn't catch on fire and only turned into charcoal chunks. :-)

BusyWorkingMama link
3/12/2013 09:12:44 pm

I just subscribed as aleksa91 hotmail com - this recipe convinced me to, despite the fact that my inbox is filled with newsletters! Most recent meltdown in my kitchen was when my sister in law couldn't find ginger seasoning. You'd have thought the pumpkin muffins she was baking would be ruined! Turned out fine!

Lisa the Gourmet Wog link
3/12/2013 11:53:25 pm

Oh Lizzy, meltdown? I have one every day. My 2 year old loves to sit on the kitchen bench when I'm preparing or cooking and she's ALWAYS touching things and spilling things and asking a zillion 'why' questions. Got to love this age!
LOVE paella! It's my ultimate go to comfort food.

ela@GrayApron link
4/12/2013 12:33:46 am

...I haven't had paella for ever! Thanks for a great inspiration :) ela

Lizzy
4/12/2013 10:11:49 am

Thank you : )

Maureen link
4/12/2013 09:16:11 am

My most memorable meltdown was years and years ago when my son was about 7. I put oil on to heat to fry chicken and then he called me from his room to read a story. Yes, I melted the whole kitchen down!

I love Taylor wines but I've never tried Promised Land Moscato. I know I'd swoon though.

Francesca link
4/12/2013 09:42:15 am

Hi, A very good recipe for Paella. I have a 40 cm Paella pan ( as yet unused) as I usually use a small one for two. I am wondering about heat source. Do you place it over two stove gas jets or do you have a special Paella ring cooker. Have you tried your pan on a BBQ? Thanks F

Lizzy
4/12/2013 10:13:16 am

Thank you, Francesca. I place it on my largest gas jet and then move it to the smaller one, otherwise the base will burn. No, I haven't tried it on the BBQ, but did see this done recently at a vineyard. The pan made paella for 80!

John@Kitchen Riffs link
4/12/2013 10:19:18 am

I love Fawlty Towers! One of the all time best TV programs, ever. ;-) Love this paella too - such a terrific dish. Love its flavor and texture. Not something I make often, but every time I do I swear I need to make it more frequently. Thanks for the reminder. ;-) My melt downs tend to be all too frequently reoccurring. Forgetting to cover butter while melting in the microwave; or filling the blender jar too full when blending hot liquid. That last one is always a crowd pleaser! Anyway, good post - thanks.

Lizzy
4/12/2013 01:21:15 pm

Oh John, the blender… accidents like that happen so easily, : )

e / dig in hobart link
4/12/2013 10:31:13 am

ohyum yum yum that paella looks good! i love spanish flavours. it's not even morning tea time yet and now i am cravign a big tasty bowl of paella goodness!

Amanda Gorton
4/12/2013 10:56:42 am

I learnt a very valuable lesson while trying to hurry to prepare dinner for my hungry tribe. TAKE YOUR TIME!
I was dashing around the kitchen like a headless turkey when in my haste I knocked a bottle of olive on the floor!
What a slippery, greasy mess I had myself in! Not the easiest spill to clean either!

Kyrstie @ A Fresh Legacy link
4/12/2013 11:35:27 am

I love paella! It has been at the top of my list of things to make for such a long time, I still have never done it... Thanks for the push.
My meltdown...I left a slow cooking meat dish on the stove when we first moved house while I went to collect my son from Kinder. The new stovetop was much different to my previous one and the whole meal ended up burnt to the bottom of the pan and inedible. Such a waste and it took days to clean the bottom of the pan. Don't leave anything simmering on the stove when you leave the house, it is a stupid thing to do!

Liz link
4/12/2013 12:39:33 pm

Paella is a favorite dish from my childhood...my mom would use Julia Child's recipe...so good! I need to add it to our menu soon :)

Lizzy
4/12/2013 01:20:25 pm

Liz, thank you… I must now hunt down Julia Child's version. : )

Eha
4/12/2013 01:40:57 pm

Never caught onto 'Fawlty Towers' so am having my laughs now!! But I do oft make paella if an indeterminate crowd seems about to arrive!!

Most awkward moment - a 'foodies dinner' in the Northern Rivers. Main course on a hot day: Vitello Tonnato! Meat done, I made my tuna sauce a few hours early, didn't I? Cut and layered the dish and put it into the fridge!! Found I practically needed a chainsaw: the sauce had 'glued' the beautifullypresented dish into a guey/gluey mass!!!! Oh thank God for good friends who did laugh it off!!

Glenda link
4/12/2013 01:55:45 pm

Hi Liz, Just one question, when you are cooking the rice for the 15-20 minutes, is it covered or not covered?
My favourite meltdown story is: Guests were coming to dinner and I was making a savoury cheesecake. All was made and I was scooping the filling out of a glass bowl into the base to bake and I dropped the bowl. It shattered into a million pieces. What to do? Bake the cheese cake and hope no glass made it into it or throw it out. I went with the former. My friends still relay the day they came to my place for dinner and got glass flavoured cheese cake - yes glass had made it into the filling!!

Lizzy
4/12/2013 01:57:49 pm

Hi Glenda, to answer your question, I have done both… but more recently, I covered it after the cooking time, to rest it. Both ways work well.

Adele
4/12/2013 02:34:38 pm

My biggest meltdown (and my mums) was when mum just got a new kitchen with her 'dream' oven. i was the first to use it and i'm a very impatient cook, apparently tipping an entire white chocolate mudcake batter down the front of the oven isn't good for stress levels...

kellie@foodtoglow link
4/12/2013 09:55:10 pm

You've reminded me that I haven't made paellla - which we all love - in ages! As always, a great recipe and directions. Wish I could enter your giveaway...

Lizzy
5/12/2013 05:13:28 am

Thank you, Kellie… I wish you could too : )

Jamie link
5/12/2013 06:16:00 am

First of all... am a huge Fawlty Towers fan and have watched and listened to all the episodes like a gazillion times until I have them memorized! I love this episode. Second, I remember the first time my husband forced me (well, coaxed me) to make a paella. I love paella, we all do but I think that might have been the only time I made it and that was 15 years ago or more. Yours looks perfect and delicious and yes I could be coaxed...

Lizzy
5/12/2013 11:26:53 am

Aha, Jamie… another Fawlty Towers fan, good to know! Sounds like it's time to make another xo

Eva Taylor link
5/12/2013 01:26:38 pm

I adore paella for the flavours and the variety within each and every bite. And I noticed when we were in Barcelona last fall that they have several different types of paella.
Too bad about the give-away, but I get it.

Lizzy
6/12/2013 06:53:39 pm

Hello Eva… oh my, you've had paella in Barcelona, well now I am envious! Yes, my apologies about the giveaway, but unfortunately the PRs ask that we limit these to Australia for the most part. Sorry my friend.

Marian at Apricot Tart link
5/12/2013 05:36:10 pm

I, too, loved Fawlty Towers! And, there's nothing like a good paella! Addicted to kitchen items I'd love a genuine Spanish paella dish one day!

My meltdown - expecting 50+ guests to arrive I saw the lounge door slightly ajar. Peeking in I discovered - to my horror - two toddlers standing on tippy toes scooping the centres out of dessert cakes I'd prepared! Meltdown!!! I could have done with a bottle or two of fine Taylor's wine!

My Kitchen Stories link
5/12/2013 05:44:29 pm

Looks delicious and perfect. I am sue you didn't have any accidents in the kitchen like Manuel would have I'm sure

Lizzy
6/12/2013 06:53:56 pm

Thank you… and, do you wanna make a bet?! : D

karina l
6/12/2013 12:20:51 am

I microwaves a whole fish once and over cooked it. The fish ended up looking like a skeleton with only bit of meat left on it!

Helene D'Souza link
6/12/2013 01:41:06 am

Oh I didn't know that they used to originally add eels. I wonder how the dish must have looked like and tasted back then. One thing i know for sure that your paella is one of the best I have ever seen. I feel like digging in and of course I would not mind a good glass of wine. Fantastic!

Lizzy
6/12/2013 06:54:23 pm

Why, thank you Helene! What are you waiting for? Come on over! : )

Judy@Savoring Today link
6/12/2013 02:48:15 am

Lizzy, this dish is gorgeous! I simply must move paella to the top of my must try list -- love everything about it!

Lizzy
6/12/2013 06:54:35 pm

Judy, thank you sooooo much! : )

ray ray cartucci
7/12/2013 07:06:42 am

My worst kitchen meltdown might have been the time I couldn't get the gas stove to light and somehow managed to catch my hair on fire and the stove blew up and threw me across the room. We got a new stove the next day. HA!


Comments are closed.

    Welcome...

    Üdvözölöm
    Photo of Liz Posmyk, Food Writer, Cook and Traveller

    ​Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion.
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