Paella Inspired Soup
After receiving a gift of Saffron (from the Original Farmer's Market in LA, thanks Dad), my fish monger recommended to me that I try Red Shrimp. Coincidence? Definitely, but that doesn't mean I wasn't going to take full advantage and make a fall soup, inspired by the classic Valencian dish Paella.
When researching Paella I discovered that people are very serious about this dish, in particular what exactly does and does not constitute a paella. Not all these people agree with each other and so there are a number of different "real" paella recipes out there. Some say you need a special pan, others are strict about what ingredient you put in your dish, some of which a Valencian would never dare use. All these rules were intimidating, and I didn't own a special paella pan either, so instead I decided to leave the traditions to the experts, take the flavors of paella and fuse them with a tomato and rice soup perfect fall.
The one thing that I learned in all of my research into one of the reasons the ingredients in paella are debated is that traditionally what you put into your dish was dependent on the seasons. When a certain set of ingredients were handy, then that is what you used, but in other seasons, you used what was available (or local) in you area. Seasonal eating isn't just good for our world, it is also beneficial to the consumers because they are always getting the freshest ingredients.
For this dish to be a success, it is important to only use the freshest tomatoes, take it easy on the saffron, and try out red shrimp. Red shrimp is unlike any other shrimp I've tasted, closer in taste to a lobster than a standard variety crustaceans. Because shrimp and saffron can be a little bit more expensive, rice is a great, less pricey option that can stretch the meal while still allowing the shrimp and saffron to make it taste luxurious and satisfying.
3/4th pound Mussels, soaked in cold water to remove any excess sand and scrubbed clean
2 cups cooked rice, cook rice in boiling water with a pinch of saffron (I like arborio)
4 Tbs. Butter
2 Shallots diced
2 Spicy Sausages
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Dried Rosemary
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
4-5 medium (1 pound), Tomatoes, diced and sprinkled with salt
1 Container Chicken Broth
3 pinches Saffron
1 Tbs, minced Garlic
1 pound Red Shrimp
In a stock pot over medium heat melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add the shallot and sausage and cook until browned. Stir in the paprika, rosemary, pepper, and the tomatoes and let cook down for about five minutes. Add the broth and saffron and simmer for ten more minutes. Add the cleaned mussels and stir. Once the mussels open up, remove from the pot, shell and dice the meat (discard any muscles that don't open). Add the chopped mussles back to the soup and add the cooked rice. Simmer until heated through.
In a separate skillet heat the remaining two tablespoons of butter until it begins to brown. Add the garlic and the red shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.
Serve up your soup in bowls and top with the garlic butter red shrimp.
October is the spookiest month of the year, so a scary movie pairing can never go amiss. Now, if you've got of bit of a dark sense of humor and can appreciate a cheesy movie, A Bucket of Blood from 1959 is a perfect choice. The story revolves a wannabe beatnik (the 50's versions of a hipster) who's art just doesn't cut it to hang with the hep daddios. Until, that is, he accidentally kills a cat, which he covers in plaster and presents as "Dead Cat." Well of course he can't stop there, and if you can't tell where this story is going you must have not watched many cheesy horror movies. -Z
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