I'm about to go Spanish.

Arch

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11 Oct 2012
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Eccles, Salford
We're having a sort of paella for diner - NT was given a fillet of smoked salmon and I had some prawns in the freezer. I don't have most of the herbs or spices I've seen in recipes, so I'm going to busk.

We have a leaf salad to go with it, and some Focaccia (well, it's Mediterranean, innit?)

I'll let you know how it goes....
 
we have been making use of a good supply of duck eggs all week with 3 spanish omlettes as well! nice and tasty and full of the protein I need at the moment, topped off with plenty of fresh herbs .

which of the herbs & spices have you not heard of before?
 
which of the herbs & spices have you not heard of before?

Oh, I've heard of them, I just don't have them! My herb and spice collection is not like yours - well, whose is?:wink:

Well, it went jolly well!:hungry:

IMAG0395.jpg


I sauted onion and red pepper, then added the long grain rice and coated the grains well (I remember reading that in risotto, you do this until the rice is crying out for liquid, so I did), and then added some stock, and simmered it briskly until almost absorbed, and then added more. Then I added frozen peas, and simmered more. My prawns turned out to be rather past it, so NT had popped out for a pack of seafood mix (prawns, mussels and squid), and a couple of cans of ready mixed G and T.

When the rice was nearly there, but still a touch hard in the middle, I added the seafood and the flaked smoked salmon to heat through, while the rice finally cooked.

In the end, I added dried dill, dried mixed herbs, two large pinches of paprika and a teaspoon or so of turmeric for colour. The stock was made up with Marigold veg bouillon powder.

Served with a ready mixed Italian leaf salad, and an olive and rosemary focaccia. And G and T.

The smoked salmon flavour really came through, it might be more subtle with plain fresh salmon.

NT said, as he heaved a full sigh of contentment, that we could have been sitting on a balcony, overlooking the sea.
 
It was absolutely lovely!

I am stuffed and happy, Arch is feeding me very well indeed.
The flavours worked well, were well balanced and the texture just right. As Arch says, the smoked salmon was a strong flavour and plain salmon may have been better but what a way to use up the salmon!
 
Arch, I can tell you why it worked so well. You didn't fall into the trap of treating paella like a leftovers dish and chucking in everything you could think of. The same goes for risotto - just use two or three quality ingredients to allow the flavours of the dish to come through. Go easy on the turmeric, though - too much will impart a bitter flavour.

Paprika is a must, and I usually add a little tomato puree as well, and white wine in place of some of the stock. However, as white wine is so expensive in the UK, it may be better to save that for drinking!
 
Thanks, it's good to know I got it right! I think I got the turmeric right, it wasn't bitter at all. I should just invest in some saffron...

We think NT might have an allergy to white wine, so that's out. Anyway, as you say, it's better for drinking...
 
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