Jeane J. Kirkpatrick's Paella
- Cuisine: Spanish
- Course: Main Course
Summary:
This recipe represents project cookery and 40 years of gleaned wisdom. According to Jeane J. Kirkpatrick's son, John, his mother would interview chefs and restaurant personnel about paella whenever the Kirkpatrick family traveled to Spain.
John Kirkpatrick has fond memories of the hours his mother spent in the kitchen making paella two or three times a year, even when vacationing in France. For this recipe, she used a pan he says must have measured 2 1/2 to 3 feet wide, "and I have it," he told us by phone last week from his Miami Beach home. "I inherited all her pans." The dish can be made in a roasting pan as well (see notes below).
Kirkpatrick's recipe called for almost all fresh ingredients, including "1 langouste or lobster." But we've made a few substitutions of convenience, namely lobster tails and frozen cleaned and trimmed squid. Her recipe also didn't call for lemon wedges, chopped parsley or a smattering of smoked paprika for garnishes, but they all work well here. The rich and laden paella makes a stunning presentation at table.
6 to 8 generous servings
Ingredients:
- 6 (1 pound) hot Italian sausage links
- 8 ounces lean pork cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 6 (1 1/2 pounds) skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (may substitute other chicken parts)
- 2 1/2 ounces salt pork, cut into 1/4-inch dice (1 cup)
- 2 medium onions cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 4 cups)
- 1 large red bell pepper cored, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch diece (about 1 1/4 cups)
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced, plus 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/2 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms
- 2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 cups)
- olive oil (at least 1/4 cup)
- 2 cups long-grain rice
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
- 1 dash hot pepper sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 cup frozen artichoke hearts
- 8 ounces large, shell-on shrimp, deveined
- 1 pound cleaned and trimmed squid, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 pounds shell-on lobster tails, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 12 littleneck clams and/or mussels
- 1/3 cup dry white wine
Directions:
Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and place near the stove.
In a large paella pan, roasting pan or wide, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until it has browned and almost cooked through. Transfer to the paper towel-lined baking sheet and brown the lean pork, chicken and salt pork, working in batches, if necessary, and stirring occasionally; transfer each batch to drain on the paper towel. This should take about 35 minutes' total cooking time. Cut the browned sausages into 1/2 -inch rounds.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, bell pepper, minced garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes to the drippings in the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the onions and bell pepper are tender. Add a tablespoon of oil, if necessary, to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
In a separate large skillet over medium heat, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil until it is almost smoking. Add the rice, stirring until it is well coated. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until golden. Set aside.
(If you wish to cook the paella in the oven, at this point, position an oven rack at the lowest setting and preheat to 425 degrees.)
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, saffron, hot pepper sauce, turmeric and cumin, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then immediately add to the rice mixture, stirring gently to combine. Transfer the sauce-rice mixture to the paella pan and add the sausage, pork and chicken pieces to the pan. Gently fold in the peas, artichoke hearts, shrimp, squid and lobster. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and cook for 30 minutes over medium heat, or cover in the same manner and bake for about 45 minutes. (Check doneness after 20 minutes for either cooking method.) When the paella is done, the rice should be tender but not mushy, and the seafood should be cooked through. Set aside and cover loosely to keep warm.
Scrub and clean the clams and/or mussels. Place in an ovenproof pan and add the white wine and crushed garlic, stirring to combine. Bake for 4 to 6 minutes or until the shells open up; discard any that have not opened. Arrange around the sides of the paella. Serve from the pan or skillet at the table.
Recipe Source:
Jeane Kirkpatrick's paella recipe, which food writer Joan Nathan shared with us from her files, is an amalgam of professional tweaks and suggestions.
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