It's Time For Paella!

It's Paella Time!

Our specials this week are all geared towards a dish we are particularly fond of, the famous rice dish known as Paella! In recent years Paella has really picked up in terms of popularity and this can be seen by the number of paella competitions that take place in various cities around our country, even here in San Antonio! While the massive dishes can be intimidating to the home chef, there is really no reason to worry because you can make your paella as big or as small as you like, for just you and the family or for the whole neighborhood! It's really all up to you, and we are happy to guide you in both endeavors!

What is Paella? This Valencian dish originated in the country outside the city, and it was the agricultural workers who where the first to make a fire in the fields at lunchtime and cook rice in a flat pan, adding to it what they had on hand.

They cooked snails and vegetables with rice, on special occasion rabbit, and later chicken was added. Besides this traditional "original paella", Valencian's are particularly fond of " Paella Marinera" with fish and seafood, also with meat like rabbit. Paella, however, can also include liver, blood sausage, artichokes and other ingredients.

W hat should you put in your paella? The beautiful thing is beyond the foundations, it's really up to you! Shrimp, Squid, Clams, Mussles, Fish, Quail, and more are all options and we have some easy to follow recipes at the bottom of this newsletter to help you with some ideas on what to put in yours.

Featured Items

This week we have a special focus on the beautiful dish of Paella and while every great paella needs premium seafood there is much more to the dish than just that. Groomer's Seafood has you covered on a variety of paella accessories, from the right chorizo, to seasonings, to the particular rice and more! Be sure to ask one of our fishmongers if you have an questions on how to make your paella truly special!

Chef Eric Paz Paella Mix

The mix consists of authentic Valenciano "Bomba" rice with traditional Spanish spices such as saffron, paprika, onion, garlic, salt and pepper - all in the correct proportions. The success of paella depends on many factors, one of which is the preparation, the selection of the protein is also key, as well as the mix of traditional ingredients and spices in the correct amounts.

This mix will ensure that the latter is taken care of.

$8.33 per bag

Himalayan Chef Seasonings

$5.99 each

Himalayan Pink Salt Grinder
Himalayan Pink Salt & Chipotle Grinder
Himalayan Pink Salt & Pepper Grinder

Chiquilin Seasoning

Crushed Paprika $5.95
Paella Seasoning with Saffron $5.69

Santo Tomas Bomba Paella Rice

1lb $7.95 2lb $9.95

Palacios Authentic Spain Made Chorizos

Whole Dry Picante Chorizo $7.95
Whole Dry Original Chorizo $7.95
Sliced Mild Chorizo $7.95
Sliced Spicy Chorizo $7.95

Spanish Paella

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon oregano
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo sausages thickly sliced on a bias
1 yellow onion diced
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves chopped
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups medium grain Spanish rice
3 cups water
generous pinch saffron
10 littleneck clams cleaned
10 mussels cleaned
10 medium shrimp peeled and deveined
1/2 cup frozen sweet peas thawed
lemon wedges for serving
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Combine the paprika and dried oregano in a small bowl. Rub the paprika mixture all over the chicken and marinate chicken for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
Heat the oil in a 15-inch paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo to the pan and sauté the chorizo until browned. Remove and reserve chorizo.
Add chicken to the pan and brown on all sides, turning with tongs until fully cooked. Season with salt and cracked pepper. Remove from pan and reserve. In the same pan, sauté the onions, garlic and parsley for 2 or 3 minutes on medium heat.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and cook over medium heat for about 4 minutes to let the flavors come together. Add the rice and stir to coat the grains in the mixture. Add the water and simmer for 10 minutes, slowly stirring the rice. Add chicken and chorizo back to the pan along with the saffron. Add the clams, mussels and shrimp, tucking them into the rice. Continue to cook until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid, the shrimp is cooked and the mussels and clams have opened, about 15 minutes more.
Add the peas and toss to combine. If any of the clams or mussels do not open, discard them before serving. When the paella is done, turn up the heat to high and toast the rice on the bottom of the pan for 30 seconds. Remove the paella from the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with the extra lemon wedges and season with Sea Salt or Cracked Black Pepper to taste if needed.

Seafood Paella

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled and then loosely measured
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
6 ounces mild dried chorizo sausage, sliced into thin half-moons (See Recipe Note)
3 cups short-grain rice, such as Spanish Bomba rice or Italian Arborio
1 (14-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup frozen green peas
1 pound large (21-24 per pound) shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails left on
1 pound mussels, rinsed and scrubbed
1 pound littleneck clams, rinsed and scrubbed
1/4 cup chopped parsley, for garnish

Instructions:

1 Preheat the grill: Heat a gas grill to medium-high heat (375ºF), or light a charcoal grill and let burn until the charcoal is covered with gray ash.

2 Steep the saffron: In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the stock to a boil. Add the saffron and salt. Turn off the heat and let the saffron steep for at least 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed.

3 Cook the sofrito base: In a 12- to 14-inch stainless steel skillet or cast iron pan, heat the oil over medium heat on top of the stove. Add the onion and red pepper, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garlic and chorizo.

4 Assemble the ingredients by the grill: On a table next to the grill, set the skillet with the sofrito, the rice, tomatoes, infused stock, salt, peas, shrimp, mussels, and clams.

5 Begin cooking the paella: Set the skillet with the sofrito on the grill. Add the rice, and cook, stirring often, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the rice is coated with oil and lightly toasted.

Stir in the stock, tomatoes, and peas. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, if you like.

Spread the rice evenly over the bottom of the pan. Close the grill cover and simmer the rice without stirring for 15 minutes, or until the rice absorbs most of the stock. If the mixture looks dry, pour about 1 cup of hot water over it, but do not stir.

6 Add the seafood: Nestle the mussels and clams into the rice with the hinge sides up so they release their juices into the rice. Arrange the shrimp around the shellfish.

Cover the pan with foil, close the grill and cook for 6 to 10 minutes longer (depending on the heat of your grill), or until the rice and shrimp are both cooked through and the mussels and clams are open. (Discard any shellfish that remain tightly shut once everything else is cooked.)

7 Check to see if the bottom is browned: Slip a spatula under the rice and check to see if you have achieved the elusive golden brown socarrat. If not, set the pan over the heat, uncovered, for a few minutes to lightly caramelize the bottom.

Sprinkle with parsley and bring the whole pan to the table for serving.

Chorizo & Shrimp Paella

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, quartered
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 small tomatoes
2 tablespoons plus ½ cup olive oil
1 pound Spanish chorizo, casings and ends removed, sliced into rounds
8 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
¾ cup dry white or rose wine
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
½ teaspoon sugar
Back-Burner Stock
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1½ cups bomba rice
1 cup green olives pitted, torn into large pieces
1 lemon, plus wedges for serving
Radish sprouts (for serving)
Flaky sea salt

Instructions:

Process onion, celery, and garlic in a . food processor until finely chopped; transfer to a small bowl.
Add tomatoes to processor and process until smooth; set soffritto aside.
Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a 12"–14" paella pan or skillet over medium-high.
Add chorizo and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add shrimp to same skillet, season with salt, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Transfer to plate with chorizo. Heat remaining ½ cup oil in same skillet over medium-high. Add reserved soffritto and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8–10 minutes.
Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until mixture is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Add paprika, sugar, and 2 tsp. salt. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, about 3 minutes.
Add stock and saffron and bring to a boil. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until liquid starts to simmer, about 5 minutes.
Quit stirring; a film will form on the surface (this will trap steam, making a gooey cover over the rice, helping it cook evenly).
Reduce heat to low and simmer, moving pan around every few minutes so the entire bottom gets equal time over the hottest part of flame, until liquid evaporates, 12–15 minutes.
Top with olives and reserved chorizo and shrimp. Finely grate lemon zest and squeeze lemon juice over paella, top with sprouts, and season with sea salt.
Let paella rest 5 minutes before you dig in; serve with lemon wedges.

Stop by to shop at:

San Antonio

[9801 McCullough]

[San Antonio, TX, 78216]

www.GroomerSeafood.com