The Fourth 2011 - Part One: Paella

Our rice is NOT Uncle Ben's! (not that I'm trying to do a disservice to a product that has kept many an American full of belly...just sayin'...)



No, it's not a knife fight, we were prepping the Sofrito...

and the

finishing touches

...


We have the Saffron infusing in homemade chicken stock


and the ingredient table is at the ready for the flames to commence.


When you're in Spain, the neighbors stop by when they smell the Paella pan heat with chicken thighs...and we really like our neighbors.


The Shrimp is then gently started...but the chef refuses the TONGS (!) He works masterfully with his special spatula, however...


Chorizo is browned to impart its delicious presence into the Sofrito.


The longer the Sofrito cooks in all the flavors of previously browned pan preparations, the darker, the richer, the more full of flavor.


Oh, see how it darkens... MMmmmmm! The smell was profound and deep.




As other ingredients are added back into the pan with the rice, it's important that the stock is added and then the stirring lessens...but the excitement doesn't.






There's such excitement that my fabulous glass of Syrah gets spilled on my WHITE capris shorts. (See the excitement in Grizzled Jamie Oliver's face as he sees the spillage...).





When all the excitement of the stirring and the walking a piping hot pan to the Grampin Cabin and the spillage dies down a bit, we defer to the Lady of the Lake (as you do) and she deems the pan worthy of her attentions. (And you can see that the cleaning minions have done their duty of the refilling and mopping of said Syrah spillage at my place setting). Oh wait, that was me.

For more on Paella, see Paella made on Posh Nosh