Recipe #5: Veranda Seafood Paella

This is the recipe I wrote for the September issue of the Rancho Bernardo Inn's Resort Club newsletter.

Every other Friday, while working the San Sebastian buffet, I would get a request for the recipe of the huge paella that we gloriously display in a traditional paellera (paella pan) in the middle of the patio. And while not a lot of people own a paellera, or have a huge patio with a fireplace, or a crowd to feed, it is still easy to re-create the Veranda paella at home – of course on a much smaller scale.

The recipe below is adapted from one that a Spanish classmate of mine from culinary school would always use. I think it is the best for home paella-making as the ingredients are broken down into amounts per person. As for the paella pan (which can be purchased nowadays from most specialty kitchenware stores), a regular stainless steel or cast iron pot works – just make sure that it can fit all the ingredients!

Originally, paella was a dish made in Valencia, Spain using saffron-flavored rice, chicken, rabbit, snails and three kinds of fresh beans. Now, paella is almost always associated with seafood, chicken and vegetables and there are many, many recipes depending on where you are in Spain, what is available at the moment, who’s making the paella, etc. I read in a Spanish cookbook that, “There is no right or wrong recipe for paella, only the recipe that pleases you.” This recipe best re-creates the version we’ve been making at the Veranda over the past summer.

Serve the paella with a glass of sangria or an earthy red wine from Rioja. Buen provecho!

Veranda Seafood Paella

Ingredients:
½ cup uncooked Valencian rice, per person (substitute Arborio or Calrose rice)
1 cup chicken stock per ½ cup of rice
5 saffron threads per person, gently toasted in a small pan and dissolved in ¼ cup white wine
4 tablespoons, or more, olive oil, to cover bottom of pan
1 3 oz piece of chicken per person (optional)
½ to 1 piece chorizo de Bilbao per person
½ teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika per person
1 clove garlic per person minced
¼ cup chopped onion per person
¼ cup chopped red bell pepper per person
¼ cup chopped tomato per person
2 shrimp or prawns per person
2 3 oz pieces of fish (seabass, yellowtail, monkfish, or swordfish work well) per person
2-4 small clams and/or mussels per person
1 oz sliced calamari (squid) per person
Green peas
Roasted peppers, cut into strips
Artichoke hearts (optonal)
Sliced olives, sliced hard-boiled egg, chopped parsley, and/or lemon wedges, as optional garnishes

Procedure:
1. Heat stock and saffron infused wine. Allow to come to a boil then remove from heat.
2. Heat the paella pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry chicken (if adding chicken) until golden and the juices run clear.
3. Add the chorizo, garlic, onions and bell pepper. Saute until the onions are translucent.
4. Add the rice, stirring until well coated with oil.
5. Add the paprika and chopped tomato, stir.
Add the saffron flavored wine and hot stock. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of pan. Adjust heat to maintain a slow boil.
6. After about five minutes, add the seafood and cook for another 10 minutes or until rice is done.
Add the peas, roasted peppers, and artichoke hearts.
7. Sprinkle the finished paella with chopped parsley and garnish the top with sliced black olives, sliced hard-boiled eggs and lemon wedges if desired.

Recipe #4: Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Ribeye with Heirloom Tomato Salsa

The summer heat has been inspiring me to cook and grill a lot outdoors. A grill set-up on the backyard, poolside or even better by the beach is the perfect venue for a summer meal. Here’s a simple recipe combining bold flavors from hot climates (North Africa and Latin America). The fragrant spice rub is great with the ribeye and can be used for seafood too. (try it with swordfish or shrimp). Instead of a heavy sauce for the meat, a simple salsa made with heirloom tomatoes provides cooling contrast. Grilled corn and asparagus complement this dish well, although a cool pasta or couscous salad with roasted vegetables would be good accompaniments too. As for wine pairing, a Zinfandel would be a good match for this dish.

Moroccan-Spiced Grilled Ribeye with Heirloom Tomato Salsa
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 ribeye steaks, around 12 oz per steak
Moroccan Spice Rub
Heirloom Tomato Salsa
4 ears, white corn
1 bunch asparagus
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Procedure:
Generously spread the Moroccan Spice Rub on the ribeye steaks. Allow to marinate for half an hour in the refrigerator.
Coat the ears of corn and asparagus with extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Pre-heat the grill while the steaks are marinating. Season the steaks with salt and pepper and grill to the desired doneness.
Grill the corn and the asparagus.
Serve the steaks with the grilled vegetables and the Heirloom Tomato Salsa.

Moroccan Spice Rub:
¼ cup ground cumin
¼ cup ground paprika
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients together.


For the Heirloom Tomato Salsa:
4 heirloom tomatoes, cut into large dice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small bunch scallions, chopped (about ½ cup)
1 small bunch cilantro, chopped (about ½ cup)
¼ cup lime juice
1 jalapeno chili, chopped (add more for spicier salsa)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
Combine all ingredients together.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.

Recipe #3: Lavender Creme Brulee

Here's a recipe I wrote for the June issue of the Rancho Bernardo Inn resort club newsletter.

Many people are daunted to make crème brulee at home, but it actually is easy. The key thing to remember is not to overcook the yolks when you are mixing it into the hot cream. Add a ladleful of the hot cream to the egg yolk and sugar mixture to warm it, then add the warmed mixture back into the hot cream. This technique is called tempering – something that is drilled into anybody who goes to and survives culinary school. Also, bake the custard only until the edges are set. Remember the goal is a smooth silky, custard and not a sweet omelette in a cup. The mixture will look soft and undercooked when you first pull it out of the oven, but it will continue to set as it cools.

Keep the ramekins of custard in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them. Caramelizing the sugar should be done only minutes before serving (like we do at the Veranda). By the way, there is no special crème brulee torch that chefs use – a propane blowtorch from the hardware store would do the trick. Put an even layer of sugar on top of the cold custard and keep the flame 4 inches away from the sugar. Twist the ramekin every few seconds to get an even caramel on top of the custard. Step back, and admire your work. Easy, right?

Let the caramel cool. It should be like glass on top of the custard and should crack when tapped with the back of a teaspoon – the sign of a well made crème brulee. Serve the crème brulee with fresh strawberries (or other berries) to cut through the richness of the dessert and some sweet cookies like biscotti. I like to use the cookie as a spoon for the crème brulee.

Hope you try this recipe at home, but if it gets too complicated, we’re always happy to make it here at the Veranda.

Lavender Crème Brulee
Makes 6 crème brulees

Ingredients:
9 egg yolks
3/4 cup superfine white sugar plus 6 tablespoons
1 quart heavy cream
1 vanilla bean, split
1/2 teaspoons dried lavender
biscotti or almond wafers
fresh strawberries
mint leaves

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar.
2. Pour cream and lavender into a medium saucepan over low heat. Using a paring knife, split the vanilla bean, scrape out the seeds, and add them to saucepan.
3. Bring cream to a brief simmer, do not boil or it will overflow. Remove from heat and temper the yolks by gradually whisking the hot vanilla cream into yolk and sugar mixture. Do not add hot cream too quickly or the eggs will cook.
4. Divide custard into 6 (6-ounce) ramekins, about 3/4 full. Place ramekins in a roasting pan and fill pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until barely set around the edges, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
5. Transfer the ramekins to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on top of each chilled custard. Hold a kitchen torch 2 inches above surface to brown the sugar and form a crust. Garnish with cookies, strawberries and fresh mint. Serve at once.

Recipe #2: Herb Marinated Grilled Ahi Tuna Nicoise Salad

Spring is now upon us and flowers are in bloom. I’ve always liked incorporating flowers into dishes. Something has to be said about lavender crème brulee, rose petals that scent a sauce for quail (like in the book Like Water for Chocolate), and the scent of jasmine in a lime sorbet. Flowers also make a great garnish for salads. A small sprinkle of garlic blossoms or chive blossoms on a plate makes a simple salad look great. A lot of flowers from our own gardens are edible and are great for salads. Rosemary blossoms, pale purple colored society garlic, nasturtiums, rose petals all make great edible garnishes – just make sure you wash them well and that they are pesticide free.

Here’s a recipe for one of my favorite lunch items at the Veranda. It is a great springtime salad showcasing bright colors of California produce that we are lucky to have, and in this recipe, nasturtium and society garlic blossoms garnish the plate. At the restaurant, we slow poach the Ahi tuna in an herb flavored olive oil, however marinating the fish in an herb oil and grilling it is a lot less complicated to make at home. The fresh herbs (rosemary, oregano) used in the marinade are so fragrant (I’m obsessed with fresh oregano at the moment!) and you can use it for other seafood like shrimp and salmon too.

The dressing makes a little bit more than what you need for this salad. Keep the rest in the refrigerator and use as a marinade for grilled chicken breast … or to make more Nicoise salad.


Herb Marinated Grilled Ahi Nicoise Salad
4 servings

Ingredients:
For the grilled tuna:
4 5 oz pieces Ahi tuna
salt and pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp chopped fresh thyme

For the salad:
5 c mesclun greens, washed
2 cups blanched haricot verts, or green beans
¼ cup capers
½ cup Nicoise olives
¼ cup torn fresh herbs (combine parsley, chive, chervil and tarragon)
4 hardboiled eggs, cut in half
4 ripe tomatoes, quartered
4 medium potatoes, diced and boiled or ½ pound baby potatoes, halved and boiled
5 pieces marinated anchovy
½ c washed nasturtium blossoms, optional
2 Tbsp society garlic blossoms, optional
Nicoise olive dressing

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat a grill pan, broiler or barbeque.
2. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. Grill until the desired doneness is reached. Personally, I like Ahi tuna cooked rare to medium rare as it gets too dry as it cooks to medium well or well done. Cook to well done at your own risk – don’t say I didn’t warn you!
3. On a large platter, place the mesclun greens and arrange the green beans, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, potatoes, capers, olives and anchovies attractively around the platter. Finish the composition with the washed nasturtium blossoms and the society garlic.
4. Arrange the grilled ahi tuna on top of the salad and drizzle the Nicoise olive dressing on top with more dressing on the side. Grind fresh pepper over the top of the salad.
5. Enjoy!

Nicoise Olive Dressing
Yield 2 cups

Ingredients:
½ c Banyuls or red wine vinegar
1 piece shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
¼ c coarsely chopped pitted Nicoise olives
2 Tbsp coarsely chopped capers
3 pieces fineely chopped marinated anchovies
1 ½ c olive oil
salt, pepper, sugar

Procedure:
1. Combine vinegar, shallots, garlic, mustard, olives, capers and anchovies.
2. Whisk in the olive oil until a temporary emulsion is reached.
3. Season dressing with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.
4. Keep in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Recipe #1: Herb Roasted Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom and Spinach Pappardelle

“I used to write and submit articles to food magazines,” I distinctly remember saying these words to Akua hoping that he would post some recipes from the restaurant and my own personal repertoire (with notes on how to pair these with wine) on his new website. Little did I know that this would be an overwhelming task as the whole body of information on food and wine pairing is vast and continuously changing. I was ready to give up and not contact Akua ever again (just kidding) until I came upon this quote in one of the wine books I was reading, “Tastes change; our palates are conditioned by our life experiences.” I’ll admit I’ve cooked all my life, and have known and tasted different kinds of food, but drinking wine for me is a recent thing. I’m still learning about wines by tasting a different one every day and then reading about it at home.

So I’ll start this series with a recipe that I’ve known paired with wines that I’ve had and liked before venturing into uncharted territory. This will be the equivalent of my own blog – I’ll write about food and wine as I go through this profession cooking food and tasting wines that go with them. Each week will be a different recipe and a different wine and hopefully, on the 50th article I’ve written, my tastes would have changed and become more mature to the art of food and wine pairing.

For the first recipe, here’s one of the best-selling pasta dishes from my lunch menu – I’ve received a lot of requests for this from our resort club members who eat at the restaurant all the time. Before it makes an exit on the menu for the summer, I’d like to share this recipe so that you can try it at home while the weather is still cool enough to dictate a pasta dish in a creamy sauce. The recipe has been adjusted slightly so that it would be easy for you to make it in your home kitchen for four people.

I think this dish would be great served with a “big” New World chardonnay. Why not splurge and try using the wine that you would be drinking for the ½ cup called for in the recipe? The typical “oakiness” and full body of these wines would be a good complement to the creamy pasta sauce. Alternatively a dry rose wine from Spain (a personal favorite) or the south of France would also go well with this dish, the dryness and acidity providing a refreshing contrast. Just be sure to show off the bottle, lest your friends think you are drinking White Zin, which I personally think is great with barbequed ribs… but more on that on the next recipe.

Herb Roasted Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom and Spinach Pappardelle
Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 pcs airline chicken breast
½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

1 Tbsp garlic, minced
2 shallots chopped
2 c chopped assorted mushrooms*
4 pcs Roma tomatoes, quartered and roasted in the oven with olive oil until browned
½ c white wine
1 pint heavy cream
½ c chicken jus**
½ c grated fresh parmesan cheese + more for topping
2 c fresh spinach
1 tsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp water (optional)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 box (250 g/8.8 oz) pappardelle pasta, cooked

Procedure:
1. Marinate chicken breasts in 1 tablespoon olive oil, rosemary and garlic for an hour. After marinating, discard the garlic and season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
2. Heat remaining oil in a heavy pan and sear the chicken breasts skin side down. Cook until golden brown (5 minutes) then turn and cook the other side for another 5 minutes or until done. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
3. Remove excess fat from the pan, leaving 1 tablespoon. Saute garlic, onions and mushrooms in the pan over medium high heat.
4. Add roasted tomatoes and white wine to deglaze, then the heavy cream and chicken jus.
5. Allow sauce to come to a boil then turn down heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the sauce has reduced by half.
6. Add grated cheese to slightly thicken the sauce, then add the spinach. If the sauce is not thick enough (it should be the consistency of a cream soup) adjust consistency with cornstarch dissolved in water.
7. Add the cooked pappardelle and simmer until the pasta is hot. At the last minute, throw in the chopped fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Divide pasta into 4 individual serving bowls. Carve each roasted chicken breast into 4 slices and place on top of the pasta. Top with more grated cheese and serve immediately.
9. Enjoy!

*At the restaurant we use a combination of portobellos (don’t forget to remove the black underside), shiitakes and small domestic mushrooms.

**We make gallons of our own dark chicken jus at the Veranda for daily use and I think this is too complicated to make at home for just ½ a cup. A good canned low sodium chicken broth combined with the juices of the cooked pan roasted chicken breasts would be a good substitute. Alternatively, make a 1 gallon batch of chicken jus (save the bones the next time you roast chicken – this makes great jus!) and freeze it in small bags to use for sauces such as this.