Seafood Paella & Easy Lemon Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Seafood Paella

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Extra virgin olive Oil 

  • 1 Onion, diced

  • 1 bell pepper, diced 

  • 6 cloves Garlic

  • 3 roma tomatoes, very finely diced (or 8 oz. tomato sauce)

  • Bay leaf

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 pinch saffron threads*

  • Salt and pepper

  • ¼ cup white wine

  • 4 boneless , skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces*

  • ¼ cup fresh chopped parsley chopped, divided

  • 2 cups Spanish Rice*

  • 5 cups Chicken Broth*

  • 1/2 cup frozen peas

  • ½ lb prawns, abt.12 peeled, tail on

  • 1/2 lb Mussels (about 10-12), cleaned properly (beards off)

  • 8 oz calamari rings

  • Lemons, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Add olive oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 6 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.

  2. Add chicken pieces, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and rice to the pot. Cook for 1 minute.

  3. Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and jiggle the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (Do not stir the mixture going forward!).

  4. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Give the pan a gentle shake back and forth just once or twice during cooking. We don’t ever stir the rice, so that a crispy crust forms at the bottom.

  5. Cook for about 15-18 minutes (uncovered), then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 6 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If for some reason your rice is still not cooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).

  6. Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

  7. Garnish with fresh parsley and lemon slices. Serve.

*In flyer December 22 - 28 2024
Recipe and photo credit: Tastes Better from Scratch

Easy Lemon Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 2 cups half and half

  • ½ cup granulated sugar

  • 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste, 

  • finely grated zest from 2 medium lemons

  • 2 4-inch springs rosemary, optional

  • 2¼ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

  • ¼ cup cold tap water

Instructions

  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla bean paste, and lemon zest (add the optional rosemary sprigs at this point, if using). Heat the mixture over med. heat until it’s just beginning to simmer. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 16 minutes.

  2. After 10 minutes, place the ¼ cup of water in a small microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it sit for 5 minutes until evenly moistened. At this point, the mixture will be thick and opaque.

  3. Place the bowl with the gelatin mixture in the microwave and cook for 30 sec. on high power. Stir to make sure all of the gelatin is dissolved. The mixture should now be thinned out and clear.

  4. Bring the cream mixture back to the simmering point over moderate heat. Remove from heat, add the gelatin/water mixture and stir well. If you used a whole vanilla bean pod, remove it now and discard.

  5. Divide the panna cotta mixture between six small ramekins, glass jars, bowls cocktail glasses. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 48h.

*In flyer December 22 - 28, 2024
Recipe and photo credit: The Cafe Sucre Farine

Annah Kassen