Paella on the Grill

The traditional Spanish dish paella is easier to make than you would think. Cooking it outdoors on the grill on a summer night is a great dinner party option. Pair it with a Spanish Tempranillo red wine.
6 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp saffron threads, crushed and combined with 1/4 cup hot water. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 ounces cooked kielbasa or chorizo sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes, skins removed
1 Tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups short grain rice such as Calasparra, Valencia or Arborio
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound frozen mussels, thawed
8 ounces frozen peas, thawed
Optional chopped green olives for garnish
Optional chopped Italian parsley for garnish

15 inch paella pan  (If you do not have a paella pan, this dish can be prepared in a skillet.

Instructions

Prepare and premeasure all ingredients and place in bowls. Assemble everything by the grill.

Heat grill to  medium-high heat . Place paella pan on grill. Add oil. When heated, add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and cook for several more minutes. Transfer all to plate.
Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook and stir until softened and beginning to brown, just a few minutes. Add tomatoes and paprika. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until tomatoes are thickened and almost pastelike.
Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan. Add chicken broth, saffron mixture and salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Add rice to pan, stirring once to evenly distribute. Cover the grill and cook without stirring until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12 minutes. If the pan is bigger than the burner, rotate every few minutes to ensure the rice cooks evenly. Reduce heat to low. Cook, without stirring, 5 - 10 minutes more or until rice is cooked. Taste the rice to ensure it is done. If needed, add more liquid and more cooking time until it is done. When rice is cooked through, top with shrimp, mussels and peas. Turn heat to high. Cook without stirring for 2 - 4 minutes more. Edges should look dry and crust should form on the bottom of the pan. Shrimp should be cooked through. Remove pan from heat. Cover with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with sliced green olives and parsley.

Cioppino - Italian Fish Stew

This recipe is a quick version of the traditional Italian fish stew, cioppino.


Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 can anchovies
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bay leaf
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup good quality dry white wine
1 (14 ounce) can chicken stock
1 (32 ounce) can diced tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 handful flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 pounds white fish such as cod, halibut or tilapia
Salt and pepper
10  large shrimp
8 sea scallops
16-20 mussels
A loaf of crusty fresh bread

Instructions

In large pot over moderate heat, combine olive oil, red pepper flakes, anchovies and garlic. The anchovies will act as a natural salt and the red pepper flakes will infuse the oil with heat.
Add chopped celery and onion. Saute until softened. Add wine and reduce for one minute. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.
Cut white fish into 1 inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Add fish to liquid and simmer for 5 minutes. Give the pot a shake during cooking, but do not stir as it will break up the fish. Add shrimp, scallops, and mussels. Cover the pot and cook 10 minutes giving the pot a shake every occasionally.
Remove lid and remove any mussels that did not open.
Carefully ladle stew into shallow serving bowls. Serve with bread to mop up the broth.

Steamed Mussels with Fennel and Pastis

Ingredients

2 pounds mussels, scrubbed well
1 - 2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and thinly sliced
1 ripe large tomato
1 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup pastis (or ouzo )
3/4 cup cream
1/3 cup fresh basil, cut into slivers
Crusty bread for dipping into the sauce

Instructions

Heat olive oil in large pot. Stir in shallots and garlic and cook until tender.
Stir in fennel and tomato and cook for additional five minutes.
Add white wine and pastis and reduce by half.
Add cream and bring to a simmer.  Stir in mussels, half of the basil, and season with salt and pepper.
Cover and cook until the mussels open. Discard any that do not open.
Stir in remaining basil.
Serve in large bowls with crusty bread to dipping.

Spicy Grilled Mussels and Sausage

Love this on a summer night. Serve with crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh or frozen mussels
2 cups cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/4 cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1 lemon, quartered
12 ounces spicy cooked smoked sausage link or kielbasa
3 cups fresh spinach
Crusty bread
Aluminum roaster pan.

Instructions

In aluminum pan, combine tomatoes, wine, oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, salt, oregano and lemon.

Place pan directly on grill over medium heat.
Also place sausage on grill and cook for 5 minutes or until browned and heated through.
Remove sausage from grill and slice into bite size pieces.
Add mussels, sausage and spinach to pan on grill. Cover and grill until mussels are done and mixture is bubbling  - about 7 minutes.

Serve with crusty bread.