Sparks Favorite Recipes:
Paella Valenciana

Serves 1 Serves 6

• 5 threads 30 threads saffron
• 1/2 cup 3 cups dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups 9 cups chicken stock
• 4 Tbsp. 1 1/2 cups fruity Spanish olive oil
• 1 piece 6 pieces chicken and/or rabbit (about 4 ounces per person)
• 1/4 cup 1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
• To taste To taste salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 clove 6 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 3 soft Spanish chorizo sausage (thinly sliced)
• 1/2 cup 3 cups paella rice (uncooked)
• 1/2 tsp. 1 Tbsp. Spanish sweet paprika
• 2 12 Roma tomatoes (seeded, grated, peels discarded)
• 1 6 fresh baby artichokes (well trimmed and quartered)
• 2 Tbsp. 3/4 cup red piquillo peppers (cut in strips)
• 1/4 cup 1 1/2 cups peas or green bean pieces
• 2 12 shrimp in the shell
• 2 to 4 12 to 24 small clams or mussels
• Ali-Oli (see recipe below), for garnish
• Lemon wedges, for garnish

Toast saffron gently in a 3-quart sauce pan over low heat. Add wine and reduce by half, then add stock, bring to a boil and turn off heat. Keep warm until needed.

Heat paellera (paella pan) over moderate heat, and then add olive oil and chicken and/or rabbit. Fry until pieces are golden and at least half cooked. Add onions, salt, and freshly ground black pepper and cook until onions are translucent.

Add garlic and cook, stirring often, for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add chorizo and rice and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until rice is well sautéed and coated with oil. Add paprika and fry, stirring well, for another minute. Add grated tomatoes and artichokes and fry for an additional few minutes.

Stir in the chicken stock and wine mixture, peppers, and beans or peas then bring to a boil scraping the bottom of the pan well. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer and after 10 minutes add the seafood and cook an additional 10 minutes or until rice is done. Serve immediately garnished with a lemon wedge and a dollop of Ali-Oli.

Ali-Oli

• 1 boiling potato
• 6 to 8 cloves garlic
• Coarse sea salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 to 1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Peel the potato and cut into quarters then boil in just enough water to cover.

In a food processor fitted with a blade, pulse garlic with salt, pepper, and lemon juice until smooth. With a slotted spoon lift out the warm potato pieces (reserving the cooking liquid), drain well, and add to the mixture. Continue pulsing until smooth.

With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. If the mixture thickens too much, thin it down with a few spoons of the potato cooking liquid. Set in a cool place and serve at room temperature (a dollop on each serving of paella).

Copyright © 2009, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, www.ciudad-la.com