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Seafood Paella

January 25, 2022 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Seafood PaellaThis is the Seafood Paella you’ll want on the weekend as a treat for friends but mostly for yourself. Paella is often wrongly described as ‘like Cajun Jambalaya’ but it’s not. The cooking technique for the seafood version of paella is really closer to west African Jollof Rice where the rice is partly cooked separately from the meat.

Follow the Plan!

And finally, this is a recipe that you want to read thoroughly and follow the steps which include being in or near the kitchen while the rice is cooking.

So let’s get started:

What you’ll need

Seafood Stock (either homemade or bought)

White Wine

Sofrito made with garlic, bell pepper, tomato, paprika, turmeric

Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels, Calamari

Short grain Bomba rice (or Carnarolli)

Seafood Paella

The Mussel in white wine stock

This is the cup of white wine you will boil the mussels in. Once they have opened up, remove them and add the wine to the seafood stock. If any fail to open, throw them out.

The Seafood Stock

The stock, as outlined below, is wonderful, however, if you don’t have time to make it or pull it out of your freezer you can easily substitute your favorite canned or concentrated version. Nice to make this early or buy it.

The Sofrito

This is the savory sauteed veg and flavorings that will infuse into the rice. Once the sofrito is cooked move it to the side and sear the seafood in the center.

The Seafood

This is a two-step cook since the mussels are steamed in the white wine, and the shrimp, calamari, and scallops are seared in the center of the paella pan and moved to the side.

Combining it all with the rice

You’ll pour in the rice and stir to coat, then add enough broth to cover the rice. Next place all the seafood except for the mussels on top, cover, and cook over medium heat checking constantly to see if the rice is done. Add more broth if necessary.

Paella Rice

Cooking the rice

The main difference from jambalaya is that paella doesn’t require stirring. In fact, it’s important not to stir it once the stock is added to ensure that the delicious, light-golden crust, known as socarrat, forms on the base. And when making paella don’t wash the rice for it needs its outer coating of starch.

Once it’s done and there’s a little crackle and browning on the bottom of the pan add the green peas and seafood, and cut the heat. Cover then add parsley and lemon and the red bell pepper strips before serving.

Side Dishes

This will serve two huge portions or four with some side salads like Orange Arugula or Louisiana’s own Sensation Salad.

Sensation Salad

These and your favorite dessert will make for a nice weekend treat, so enjoy!

 

Seafood Paella
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients
  • For the Mussels:
  • 1 cup white wine
  • ½ lb. mussels, washed well
  • For the Stock*:
  • ¼ teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled & lightly toasted in the pan
  • 6 jumbo shrimp heads
  • 1 clove garlic, smashed
  • ⅓ cup bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • ⅓ cup parsley, chopped
  • ⅓ cup celery (including leaves), chopped
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • pinch of red pepper flakes or cayenne
  • 2 cups water
  • For the Sofrito:
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ cup bell pepper, diced (any color)
  • 1 cup diced tomato* (canned or fresh, if fresh it should be peeled)
  • ½ tsp. smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • For the other Seafood:
  • 4 to 6 jumbo shrimp
  • ½ lb. calamari, sliced
  • 4 sea scallops
  • For the Rice:
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons Spanish bomba rice (or Arborio or Carnaroli)
  • 1 cup large green peas, (frozen or fresh)
  • For the garnish:
  • Parsley and jarred roasted red peppers (or you can use the version in my Ajvar recipe)
Instructions
  1. For the Mussels:
  2. Wash the mussels and add to simmering white wine. When they open they are done. Set aside. Once they have opened up, remove them and add the wine to the seafood stock. If any fail to open, throw them out.
  3. For the Seafood stock:
  4. Lightly toast the saffron for 15 or 20 seconds in a dry pan over medium heat.
  5. Remove shrimp heads and peel, reserving shrimp meat.
  6. Add other ingredients with one cup of water and the wine from the mussels and let boil for 20 minutes.
  7. For the Sofrito:
  8. Chop finely the garlic & bell pepper. If you use fresh tomato, cut it in half and grate it, then discard the skin. If using canned diced tomato just add with the garlic & bell pepper.
  9. Add a half cup of olive oil to a pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, bell pepper, and tomato, and cook for several minutes. If it starts to stick add dribbles of olive oil. Don't let it burn.
  10. Once softened, add the paprika, salt & turmeric. Move sofrito to the edge of the pan.
  11. For the Seafood:
  12. Add a little oil to the middle of the pan if necessary. Dry off the shrimp, scallops, and calamari and quick sear in the center of the pan. They will brown better if they are dry.
  13. Move shrimp to the side when it pinks up, move calamari when the tentacles begin to squeeze.
  14. Scallops only need to cook for one minute. After that move them onto a plate & set them aside.
  15. For the paella:
  16. Combine the wine you cooked the mussels in to the seafood stock then add a cup and a half of the stock to the pan.
  17. Pour the rice over in the shape of a cross, slightly above the liquid. Stir to coat & even out.
  18. From this point on do not stir the rice.
  19. Put the rice in the pan and let cook on high for 3 minutes till you get a little soccarat (or browning on the bottom.)
  20. Bring to a boil and then adjust heat to maintain a vigorous simmer. Bubbles at the edge should be smaller than at the center. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes.
  21. Arrange the mussels, shrimp, and scallops on top of the paella distributing them evenly.
  22. When the paella starts to make popping noises cut the heat and add the peas. The peas will use the remaining heat to cook.
  23. Garnish:
  24. red bell pepper, roasted, peeled & cut into strips (or the jarred version)
  25. lemon wedges & chopped parsley
  26. Cover & let rest for 5 -10 minutes
Notes
*If you don't have time to make this you can substitute a good seafood broth.
3.4.3177

 

Filed Under: Rice & Noodle Dishes, Spanish Tagged With: paella, seafood paella

Turkish Rice Pilaf

January 14, 2022 by Carine Clary 2 Comments

Turkish Rice Pilaf

So what’s special about Turkish Rice Pilaf?

Turkish Rice Pilaf is all about the flavor of the rice and the variety of added ingredients. Those come from coating the rice in oil and steaming it in a rich broth as I do in this version. This is just the simplest version with chicken stock, orzo, onion, and toasted almonds on top but you can go with saffron, garbanzo beans, green peas, or even thin sauteed strips of eggplant. Be creative!

A little history

As much as we link the far east with rice I’d have to give the nod to the Turks who have perfected rice pilaf as a stand-alone dish. It has specific varieties stretching from Kazakhstan to Kirkareli on the Bulgarian border. Wherever there are Turks (and Persians!) there is Turkish Rice or “Pilaf.”

In 1539, Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent even made a “feast record” to commemorate the circumcisions of his sons Bayezid and Cihangir. He notes plain Pilaf, along with noodle pilaf, saffron pilaf, green pilaf (cooked in spinach juice), red pilaf (with grape molasses), şehriye (thin vermicelli) pilaf, and pilaf with pomegranate molasses. Others mention mulberries, barberries, pomegranate seeds, ambergris, and raisins as delicious additions.

But for now, we’ll start simple.

What you need:

  • Rice (any kind, but usually long-grain)
  • Orzo (a pasta that looks like rice)
  • onion or shallot
  • butter
  • chicken stock.

Turkish Rice Pilaf

Turkish Rice Pilaf

The Stock

This gets its own category because it’s crucial. To be clear you may make a delicious Turkish rice dish with good old Swanson’s chicken broth or whatever canned version is your fav. However, if you want something amazing make your own stock and let it bubble away until it’s gelatinous. And I mean thick. If you can’t swing that, try the bone broth that’s sold in the grocery store. You won’t be sorry.

Assembly and Cooking

Once you have the ingredients lined up do the following:

  • Rinse and drain the rice.
  • Measure out the orzo.
  • Chop the onion.
  • Melt the butter in a pot with a lid (or your rice cooker) & brown the orzo and onion, adding the rice last.
  • Add the stock, cover and cook until done then fluff the rice and add some toasted almonds and parsley.

To Serve

Best in a covered dish especially if you end up with leftovers.

Other Similar Rice Dishes to try

Here on the Gulf Coast, we have Louisiana Dirty Rice which is one of our riffs on rice, and on the west coast of Africa, they have Jollof Rice.

 

5.0 from 1 reviews
Turkish Rice
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Ingredients
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice (basmati or jasmine is fine)
  • ¼ cup orzo
  • 3 tablespoons shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 cups chicken stock (or bone broth)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 bay leaf
Instructions
  1. Melt butter over medium heat, add orzo & shallot & stir until brown.
  2. Add rice and stir in to coat with oil
  3. Add broth, bay leaf, cover, and cook over low heat until the stock is absorbed and soft.
  4. Remove bay leaf and fluff with a fork.
3.4.3177

5.0 from 1 reviews
 
Print
3.4.3177

Filed Under: Middle Eastern, Rice & Noodle Dishes, Turkish Tagged With: pilav, rice and chicken broth, rice and orzo, turkish rice

Shrimp Creole

November 9, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Shrimp Creole If you crave a rich traditional Shrimp Creole keep reading! This will wake up your taste buds with lots of thyme, garlic, and three kinds of heat from red pepper flakes, to black pepper to cayenne. And this version offers the option of homemade shrimp stock or one with bottled concentrated stock.

So let’s get started:

What makes it different?

  • For starters, the roux. With most roux, you brown the flour in the fat first. With this one, you caramelize the onions in the fat then add the flour and brown. As it’s browning you add a tablespoon of tomato paste. All about layering flavor. Then you add the shrimp stock.
  • The stock. It can be homemade on the day you make the Shrimp Creole or pulled out of the freezer, or from a canned or concentrated stock. I’ve done it all three ways. When making it this time I had no premade stock so I browned the shrimp shells in the saucepan then used diluted concentrate to finish. Let it bubble for ten then strained out the shells and it was very good.
  • Herbs and spices. We all know that lots of tomato – good as it is – can overwhelm other flavors. That’s why I call for more of all the other good stuff. More garlic, more thyme, and more heat.

The Prep

Once the seafood stock is ready and the veg is chopped, it’s time to focus on the roux. Ideally, you’ll use bacon fat or lard but if you don’t have them on hand (and I didn’t this time) you can use vegetable oil and a strip of bacon for the flavor. Heat that over a low flame and then add the onions and stir until very brown. What you see below is about half cooked and will take another few minutes.

Shrimp CreoleAnd hint – don’t walk away because they can burn quickly. Once browned, stir in the flour just as you would normally do for a roux, cooking until medium brown at which time you will add the other chopped veg, tomato paste and cook for about three minutes.

Finishing Up

This is the easy dump and stir part. Add the chopped tomato (and fire-roasted is good if you’re buying canned), tomato sauce, and half of the stock. Don’t add it all at once. Reserving a cup or so allows you to control thickness. Some people like it very thick, others not.

Everything’s here except the bay leaf and fresh thyme (I used dry in this). Once all of this has bubbled for 20 minutes or so, cut the heat, add the shrimp, cover, and let sit for at least ten minutes. Check for the thickness of the sauce and add more stock if necessary.

Shrimp CreoleWhile it’s finishing you can cook your rice or nuke it (see option below), chop your green onion and parsley for garnish and serve! Best of all it’s good as leftovers.

Chinese Beef & Brocolli

And if you’re craving a side salad, my Orange Arugula is great. Great on its own and has a tartness that pairs well with the richness of the Shrimp Creole. Last, but not least, follow this link to the instructions for great seafood stock.

Shrimp Creole

Shrimp Creole
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Ingredients
  • 1.5 lb. smaller shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • For the roux:
  • ¼ cup bacon fat (or vegetable oil)
  • 1 cup onion, diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • For the Sauce:
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 cup bell pepper, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, diced
  • 2 14.5 oz, cans of diced tomato with juice (or 3 cups peeled, seeded, & diced fresh ones)
  • 1 8 oz. can of tomato sauce
  • 3 cups seafood stock
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 tablespoons chopped thyme leaves (or two dried)
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
  • salt to taste
  • Green onion, chives, or parsley for garnish
  • white rice
Instructions
  1. Peel & devein shrimp, set aside
  2. Melt the fat in a pot and add the onions, stirring until brown.
  3. Stir in the flour and cook over medium heat until the roux is brown, then add the tomato paste and cook for another minute.
  4. Add the celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Add two cups of the stock and fully incorporate, then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and all other seasonings.
  6. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Check for thickness and add more stock if necessary.
  7. Once the thickness is to your liking, add the raw shrimp, cut the heat, cover and let steam for 10 minutes.
  8. Taste the sauce and add a teaspoon of sugar if too tart and salt if necessary.
  9. Chop garnish and serve with rice.
3.4.3177

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Creole, Entree, Seafood Tagged With: shrimp creole, shrimp in tomato sauce

Balsamic Deviled Eggs

October 28, 2021 by Carine Clary Leave a Comment

Balsamic Deviled EggsLet’s talk Balsamic Deviled Eggs and deviled eggs in general. They’re an appetizer table cliché but one that is almost universally liked. You’ll end up making them for the holidays so what you want is something easy to peel and prepare, and this is it. The five ingredients are the eggs, the mayonnaise, flavored balsamic vinegar, some grated onion, and your choice of an herb that can be fresh or dried.

The grated onion is something I came up with years ago because I could never get the onion diced small enough to prevent an onion bomb from detonating in my mouth and gassing out my fellow guests. Grated onion (or shallot) is the answer. It gives you subtle flavor while keeping the smooth texture of the filling.

Easy to Peel Boiled Eggs

This is a trick I wish I’d known in college when I lived on these guys, but at least I know it now.

The trick is to fill a pan with a couple of inches of water, pour in a tablespoon or so of vinegar, put in a vegetable steamer, add eggs, and cover. Bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes then cut the heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Plunge into cold water for a few then crack and peel. The peels should come off easily. This is the perfect method for people who get easily distracted (like me). Anybody can stand around for two minutes to wait for the water to boil.

One of the best things about this method is that the post boiling steam bath renders the whites tender instead of rubbery.

The Filling

Mash the eggs with fork or fingers (hands are an underrated kitchen tool and one that comes factory equipped), add mayo gradually till you achieve your own preferred degree of smoothness then grate a small amount of onion onto a cutting board. Onions are watery so squeeze a little of that out then stir into the yolk mixture, add seasoning, vinegar, and you are done!

Balsamic Deviled Eggs

Additions & Garnish

Lots of ideas here:

  • Chopped chives
  • Capers
  • Olives
  • Paprika
  • Pimento
  • Pickles
  • Chilies
  • Roasted Garlic (very mellow when cooked low and slow)
  • Caviar
  • Bacon

Balsamic Deviled Eggs
 
Print
Author: Carine Clary
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
  • 12 medium eggs
  • ⅓ cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon White Balsamic Vinegar (or flavored)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoon onions, grated & drained of juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh herbs such as tarragon, chives or dill.
  • Salt & white pepper to taste.
  • Paprika for the top.
Instructions
  1. Boil eggs in a vegetable steamer for two minutes, cut the heat and let steam for about 5 minutes, then place in ice water and peel.
  2. Cut in half and put yolks in bowl. Mash well.
  3. Add mayonnaise gradually to achieve your preferred consistency.
  4. Stir in vinegar, also to taste. You may want a little more than is suggested. Tasting as you mix is a good idea. If you are using flavored vinegar you may want to skip the chopped herbs.
  5. Add in finely chopped herb of your choice.
  6. Sprinkle top with paprika.
3.4.3177

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Appetizers, Brunch Tagged With: balsamic deviled eggs, deviled eggs, easy deviled eggs

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Turkey Poulette

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About Me

Hello, I'm Carine Clary and I'm the FrangloSaxon.

And is that a word? In a word - Yes! It reflects my French connections in the south part of the state and the Anglo Saxon ones on the Arkansas state line. I grew up eating & loving all the foods of Louisiana and the idea is to collect lots of them right here on this website.

What you'll find here is food that reflects everybody's cooking. Creole we know. Cajun we know. But how about Croatian or Vietnamese....or Italian or German....or the underestimated plain Southern food they do so well in the upstate parishes?

They're all part of who we are so pull up your chair and join me for some good eats!

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