2022 Vuelta - Stage 10: Elche to Alicante.
Welcome back to La Vuelta! The riders had a day off yesterday as they traveled down to SE Spain where the race will start once more. The region they traveled to, Valencia, is home to the world-famous dish: paella. Paella has many variations, depending on what town you’re in, or whomever is cooking it. For instance, the paella I made last year was bright yellow (from the saffron broth) and featured meat, green beans, lima and cannellini beans. This year’s paella is direct from Alicante, features seafood, has no beans, and employs the use of a pepper-based flavor enhancer (Salmoretta) which makes the paella much darker.
I made this meal last week while we were up in Cape Cod with my in-laws. It’s been a few years since we all gathered up in Massachusetts, due to Covid, but I was very much looking forward to going back to my favorite haunts: PB Boulangerie for amazing pastries, Hatch’s for fabulous fish, Atlantic Spice Company for bulk spices (I spent $125 there, but hey, it’s been a while), and the ponds of Wellfleet. They’re great because they don’t have that slimy feel on the bottom when you walk into the water like lakes down here at home, and the water is warmer than the Atlantic Ocean (also, no sharks!).
I also added two new places we’ll visit again and which I suggest: Gelato Joy Cafe (we went there frequently for Affogato!) and a lovely restaurant called Blackfish in Truro. My wife and I went there, on our last night, and scored the only table available: a knee-high table at a corner seat in the bar section. This place is so good, people actually make reservations to be seated at the bar to dine in, so I was very grateful we snagged a spot! But back to Hatch’s. It’s a friendly little spot that employs youth for the summer (my wife’s nieces and their cousins have worked there), but don’t be fooled by their age. These kids know their fish and are super polite and helpful. I snagged up some shrimp and a neck piece of swordfish. The neck is a bit fattier and stands up to the long simmer in this paella, and it just melts in your mouth. Hope you all get to enjoy your favorites this summer as well!
Paella Alicante
Salmoretta
Olive oil
2 dried Nora peppers, seeded and stemmed, torn into rough chunks
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Fistful of parsley
2 tomatoes, chopped
Paella
1 qt fish stock
2 cups chicken stock
¼ cup olive oil
1 lb shrimp (shell-on)
½ lb swordfish, skinned & diced
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
½ lb bomba rice (or arborio)
Lemon, cut into wedges
Add enough oil to coat a large skillet (12-14 inches wide - of course, if you have a paella pan, use that!) and preheat over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, toss in the peppers. Once fragrant, add in the garlic and cook until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Toss the parsley in the skillet and stand back (the parsley will pop and fizz!). Once the sizzling dies down, add in the tomatoes with a pinch of salt.
Simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down completely, then transfer the contents to a blender and process until smooth. Set aside until ready to use.
To prepare the paella, add the stocks to a pot and heat, covered with a pinch of salt, until warmed. Wipe out the pan briefly and return to the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding in the oil. Meanwhile, liberally season your shrimp with sea salt and black pepper (since the shell is left on, really season these babies up).
After the pan has warmed up for a few minutes, toss in the shrimp and cook until beginning to pink up, just a few minutes. Flip the shrimp and cook another 2-3 minutes, then remove from the skillet with tongs or a slotted spoon.
Season the swordfish with some salt and pepper and add it to the pan, along with the paprika, garlic, parsley, and 3 tbsp of the prepared salmorreta, stirring to incorporate. Once the ingredients are fragrant, stir in the rice, and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
Pour in all of the stock (or at least enough to cover all of the rice and come up to nearly the top of the skillet. Turn the heat to high and boil for 10 minutes, stirring 2 times: mid-way and then at the 10-minute mark.
After 10 minutes, turn the heat to low and continue to cook for another 10 minutes. Do not stir the rice any longer, just let the pan cook away. After 10 minutes, try a little bit of the rice (still not stirring the pan!). If it still feels toothsome, add any remaining stock (or use water) to help cook and soften the rice.
At this point, add the shrimp back to the skillet as well and continue to cook, over low heat, until the boiling stops and the sizzling starts. You will see little tiny bubbles pop up, every now and again, and this is when it’s almost time to remove the pan from the heat.
Once it sounds like there is barely any water left to simmer at the bottom of the pan, remove from the burner and cover the pot with newspaper (or parchment paper or a large dish towel) to allow it to steam for a few minutes. Add the lemon to the skillet and bring to the table to serve. ______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.