Pork and Pomegranate Paella

 

For our 2nd attempt making a Paella on our Paella Grill, we decided to make a Pork and Pomegranate Paella. The Paella was unusually sweet/sour taste do to the Watercress. Who knew? This is the first Paella where we actually got a Crispy Crust at the bottom. You don't stir the Paella once you add the liquid. The perfect Paella has a Crust of Rice on the bottom. Inspire of the crust called socarrat in Spanish we preferred the Chicken Paella we previously had made. Nothing wrong with this one, but our tastes preferred the Chicken. You can find the recipe for the Chicken Paella on our blog of: October 27, 2021. Click the date to get the recipe. We look forward to our trip to Spain and especially the city of Valencia where supposedly they have the best Paella in Spain.

Pork and Pomegranate Paella

(Paella de Magra y Granadina)

Paella – Penelope Casas

 

Pomegranates are closely associated with Spanish history and are a legacy of centuries of Moorish domination in Spain. The Moors were fond of sweet and sour flavors, and they planted pomegranate trees in Andalucía. in fact the Andalusian ditsy of Granada bears the same name as the pomegranate (granada in Spanish, perhaps in reference to the ruddy colored brick used to build the Alhambra, the ethereal Moorish palace. Today the pomegranate remains the symbol of Granada, and its image appears as well in Spain's national coat of arms.

 

This is an outstanding paella of captivating flavor. The pork is marinated in a mixture of fresh pomegranate juice boiled down to a syrup, herbs, and spices, giving the meat and the paella a wonderful hint of sweetness, while the watercress with its slightly bitter edge is a perfect foil.

 

Buy pomegranates in the fall and freeze the seeds if you would like to have them on hand anytime. Bottled grenadine syrup, although ostensibly made from pomegranates, is more likely to be a mix of corn syrup, fruit flavors, and food coloring, but if you cannot find the real thing, substitute it for the fresh juice.

Serves 4 to 6

 

1/2       cup pomegranates molasses

1          bay leaf, crumbled

1          tablespoon rosemary leaves or ½ teaspoon dried

4          tablespoons minced parsley

1½       teaspoons ground cumin

8          cloves garlic, minced

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼         cup dry white wine

1          pound pork loin, cut in 1/2-inch cubes

About 5¾ cups chicken broth, canned or homemade

¼         teaspoon crumbled thread of saffron - toasted

8          tablespoons olive oil

1          medium onion grated

1          tomato Grated

1½       cups finely chopped watercress (mostly leaves)

3          cups imported Spanish or Arborio short-grain rice

 

In a bowl, combine, combine the pomegranate molasses, bay leaf, half of the rosemary, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, 3/4 teaspoon of the cumin, half of the minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and the wine. Stir in the pork, cover, and marinate for 1 hour

Remove the meat from the marinade, dry on paper towels, then sprinkle with salt. Combine the marinade in a large saucepan with the saffron and enough broth to make 6 cups. Keep hot over the lowest heat. 

Preheat the oven to 400° F for gas oven, 450° F for electric.

Heat the oil in a paella pan measuring 17-18 inches at its widest point (or in a shallow casserole of a similar size), over 2 burners if necessary. Sauté the pork over high heat until lightly browned (it should not be fully cooked). Remove to a warm platter,

Add the onion, tomato, garlic to compote, stir in the watercress, the remaining rosemary, the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley, and 1/4 teaspoon cumin, and cook 1 minute more. Add the rice and coat well with the pan mixture. Pour in all the hot broth and bring to a boil, stirring and rotating the pan occasionally. Taste for salt, continue to boil for about 3 minutes, then return the pork to the pan and boil about 2 minutes more, until the rice is no longer soupy but sufficient liquid remains to continue cooking the rice.

Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, until the rice is almost al dente, 10-12 minutes in a gas oven, 15-20 minutes electric. Remove to a warm spot, cover with foil, and let sit 5 – 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked to taste.

Miso and Maple Salmon

Miso and Maple Salmon is a delicious recipe to make when Salmon is in season. Our friend Trina had cooked salmon for  us. She didn't cook all of her Salmon, so we bought Salmon and also used Trina's to make this wonderful dish. We started with a Persimmon Salad with Spec and Almonds. A delicious dinner! Who would think Miso and Maple would blend so well together with Salmon?

Miso and Maple Make a Good Match with Salmon

New York Times

This sheet-pan supper of salmon with green beans is salty, sweet and earthy.

 

For a weeknight salmon that’s impressive enough for entertaining, look no further. Salty miso paste and sweet maple syrup are the backbone of this simple, flavor-packed marinade, which is about as involved as this uncomplicated recipe gets. Here, the fish soaks up the sauce as the oven gets hot, and the snappy green beans roast in the same amount of time as the fillets. Start some rice when you walk in the door and you’ll have dinner on the table in under a half hour.

 

Ingredients

 

4       (6-ounce) skin-on salmon fillets, about 1-inch thick

 Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4       teaspoons maple syrup

1       tablespoon white or brown miso

1       tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2       teaspoons soy sauce

1       garlic clove, grated

1       pound green beans, trimmed

2       tablespoons olive oil

Pinch of red-pepper flakes(optional)

¼      teaspoon toasted sesame oil(optional)

¼      cup roughly chopped cilantro, both leaves and tender stems

4       lime wedges, for serving

Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)

Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

 

Preparation

1.   Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Season the salmon fillets well with salt and pepper, and place them on a plate or in a large shallow bowl.

2.   In a small bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, miso, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and garlic. Pour the mixture on top of the salmon and gently massage the marinade all over the fish. Let marinate while the oven comes to temperature.

3.   Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss together the green beans with the olive oil, red-pepper flakes and sesame oil (if using) and season generously with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon fillets on the sheet pan skin side down and spread the green beans out surrounding the fillets.

4.   Arrange the salmon skin side down on the sheet pan and bake until the salmon is opaque and the green beans are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Right before serving, scatter with cilantro and a good squeeze of lime. Season with flaky sea salt and serve with rice, if desired.

 

 

 

 

 

Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken with Pears and Arugula

 

We loved this recipe for Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken with Pears and Arugula. We have made many Sheet-Pan recipes recently. They all work out. It seems The New York Times really likes them, and we do to! Try this one!

Sheet-Pan Roasted Chicken with Pears and Arugula

New York Times

 

In this hearty sheet-pan meal, thick pear wedges and chicken thighs seasoned with earthy, warming spices are roasted until soft and tender. During the last five minutes, crunchy sunflower seeds are scattered on the pan to sizzle in the pan juices, gaining a salty flavor that balances out the sweetness of the pears. A final topping of arugula soaks up any lingering juices and turns this into a full-on meal. Using firm, not-quite-ripe pears prevents them from becoming mushy and falling apart during the cooking process. Swap baby spinach for the arugula and sherry vinegar for the lemon juice, depending on what you have on hand. Serve any leftovers on a bed of fresh arugula, dressed with lemon and olive oil.

 

Ingredients

 

6       skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds)

Kosher salt and black pepper

½      teaspoon red-pepper flakes

1       teaspoon cumin

1       teaspoon coriander

1       tablespoon grated fresh ginger from a 2-inch piece

3       tablespoons olive oil

2       firm, semi-ripe Bartlett or Bosc pears, cored and quartered lengthwise

2       tablespoons raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

2       packed cups baby arugula

1       lemon, halved

¼      cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped (optional)

 

Preparation

 

1.            Heat the oven to 450 degrees with a rack in the center.

2.            Pat the chicken dry and trim excess fat and skin. Sprinkle all over with 2 teaspoons salt, and season with pepper. In a small bowl, mix together the red-pepper flakes, cumin, coriander, ginger and oil. On a sheet pan, rub the chicken and pears all over with the mixture. Arrange chicken skin-side up and pears skin-side down. Cook until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees at the thickest part) and the pears are tender, 25 to 30 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, add the sunflower seeds to the pan. If there’s a lot of fat when finished cooking, tilt the pan and spoon it off until there’s a light coating on the surface of the pan.

3.            Scatter the arugula on top, and squeeze the juice of 1/2 lemon over the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with herbs, if using. Cut the remaining lemon half in quarters and serve.

 

Chicken Paella

Note the Blue Flame (its adjustable)

Since the Pandemic started we have been interested in Spain: reading books (fiction and history) and watching streaming lectures about Spain on Zoom. We are committed to going there in May. Our friends Jaimie and Robert had us over for Paella in solidarity with our quest. Jaimie had purchased a Paella pan and cooking apparatus. After eating his Paella we decided to do the purchase our own and attempt to make it. We purchased ours at La Paella.

Paella, we have discovered, is all about the Rice and specifically the crust that forms at the lowest level of rice where it touches the pan (in Spanish called: Socarrat. (You don't stir Paella - you just let it cook). This was our first attempt. It was damn good. But I can't wait to try the real Paella in Valencia, Spain which is considered the home of the best Paella in Spain. We purchased the cookbook: Paella by Penélope Casas. She knows Paella well!

Rupert's Marinated Chicken Paella(Paella de Pollo Adobado "Ruperto")

Paella by Penelope Casas

Rupertos tapas bar is a legend in Sevilla, and his tapas keep bringing in the crowds. Although he does not serve paella at Casa Ruperto, he offered me his personal recipe, which uses the same marinade that makes his famous grilled quail and skewered pork so special. This is a succulent rice of exceptional flavor; the chicken, subtly seasoned with sherry, cumin, thyme, and nutmeg, and the marinade, which is incorporated into the paellas broth, bring a perfect balance to this dish.

Serves 8

3-1/2    pounds Chicken Thighs (with bone & skin) each cut in half (ask your butcher to do this)

Marinade (see below)

Kosher or sea salt
8           cups chicken broth, canned or homemade
¼           teaspoon crumbled thread saffron, toasted then crumbled
¼           cup olive oil
6           cloves garlic, peeled
1           medium tomato, halved then shredded on box greater, biggest shred
1           medium onion, halved then shredded on box greater, biggest shred
2           medium red bell peppers halved then cut into inch wide strips
1           bay leaf
¼           teaspoon saffron, toasted and ground in a powder
3           tablespoons minced parsley
3           cups imported Spanish or Arborio short-grain rice
½           cup frozen peas
1           lemon, cut in wedges
 
Marinade
8          teaspoons dry fino sherry or dry white wine
4          tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2          teaspoon ground cumin
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6          teaspoons thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
4          cloves, crushed
4          teaspoon ground nutmeg
1          bay leaf, crumbled
¼         teaspoon crushed red pepper
1               tablespoon minced parsley
1               teaspoon lemon juice
4          cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
½         teaspoon sweet paprika, preferably Spanish smoked
Kosher or sea salt to taste

 

In a bowl, combine the marinade ingredients. Fold in the chicken and turn to coat well. Marinate at least 1 hour at room temperature or longer in the refrigerator.

Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade (reserving the marinade but discarding the garlic) and dry on paper towels. Sprinkle all over with salt.

In a large pot, combine the chicken broth with the remaining marinade, (swirl a little of the chicken broth and the saffron in the bowl to remove it all) and the saffron. Keep hot over the lowest heat.

Pour ¼ cup olive oil in a paella pan. Over medium high heat, sauté the chicken until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Reduce the heat to medium low. In the paella pan, cook the red pepper until the peppers are completely limp but not brown, 15 to 20 min. Transfer the peppers to a plate and cover with aluminum foil

Meanwhile, peel the skin off the red peppers.

Increase the heat to medium and sauté the onion until softened, about 5 min. Add the tomato, and the six garlic cloves, season with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the mixture has darkened to a deep burgundy and is thick like a compote, 15 to 20 min. If it starts to stick to the pan or burn, add a little water to the pan. If not cooking the rice immediately, remove the paella pan from the heat. (This tomato-onion-garlic mixture, called a sofrito, is the flavor base for the paella.) You may make the paella several hours ahead up to this point.

About a half hour before you're ready to eat, bring the broth back to a simmer and set the paella pan with the sofrito over your largest burner (or over two burners) on medium high heat. Add the rice, stirring until it's opaque, 1 to 2 min.
 
Spread the rice in the pan and pour in the hot broth. Shake the pan a bit to make sure the rice is evenly distributed. Arrange the chicken, red peppers, and peas in the pan. 
Do not stir the rice from this point on. Simmer vigorously, moving the pan over one and two burners to distribute the heat and to cook the rice as evenly as possible. When the rice is at the same level as the liquid, after 8 to 10 min., reduce the heat to medium low.
 
Continue to simmer more gently, rotating the pan as necessary, until the liquid has been absorbed, about 10 min. more. Taste a grain just below the top layer of rice; it should be al dente, with a tiny white dot in the center. (If the rice is not done but all the liquid has been absorbed, add a bit more broth or water to the pan and cook a few minutes more.)
Increase the heat to medium-high and, rotating the pan, cook for about 2min., until the bottom layer of rice starts to caramelize, creating the socarrat. The rice will crackle, but if it starts to smell burned, remove the pan from the heat immediately.
 
Remove the pan from the heat. Cover loosely with foil or a clean kitchen towel and let the paella rest for 5 min. to even the cooking and let the flavors meld. Set the paella pan in the center of a round or square table. Remove the foil and invite people to eat directly from the pan, starting at the perimeter, working toward the center, and squeezing lemon over their section, if they want.
 
Serve with lemon wedges.
 

Steak and Cauliflower

We decided to make Steak with Smash Roasted Potatoes and Whole Roasted Cauliflower. This makes for a great dinner with lots of leftovers. It is sort of a perfect retro dinner. You can find the recipe for Whole Roasted Cauliflower on our blog of: February 27, 2017. Click the date to get the recipe. The Steak recipe can be found on our blog of: February 17, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe. The Smash Roasted Potato recipe can be found on our blog of: August 26, 2017. Click the date to get the recipe. I keep thinking back to my Mother's cooking. She loved Cauliflower, but in all of her many years I am sure she only boiled it and never baked it. She missed a good preparation. 

Moroccan Chicken

Moroccan Chicken was another preparation from Black Hogg. Cathy turned it into a true Moroccan style dish by adding Roasted Carrots and Cons-Cous. It was a very tasty and good dish!

Moroccan Chicken - Jidori Free-Range All-Natural Chicken

Black Hogg

Black Hogg

 

This Chicken Is Bomb

 

Air Fryer / Convection oven: 400°

Standard Oven: 425°

1. Spray air fryer tray with oil.  If cooking in oven, line baking sheet with foil and spray with oil

2. Place chicken skin-side-down onto baking sheet or air fryer tray and cook for 15 minutes.  Do not overcrowd tray.

3. Flip chicken skin-side-up and cook for another 8-10 minutes (or until the skin is nice and crisp).  You want an internal temp of 180-190 degrees.

*if chicken skin is not crisp enough, you can quickly sear the skin in a non-stick skillet after you take out of oven.

 

Grill:

1. Oil grill grates and get grill hot.

2. Place chicken skin-side down onto grill.  Flip chicken every 1-2 minutes.  Move to cooler parts of grill to avoid flare-ups.

3. Cook for around 10-12 minutes total, until chicken feels firm to touch.

4. You want crispy skin and the edges to have some char.  Internal temp should be around 180-190 degrees.

 

Shrimp with Grits

This is a dish that hits all of the perfect notes for me. I LOVE Shrimp with Hot Fennel Sausage and Polenta. It has a fabulous taste and texture. I can't get enough! You can find the recipe for the great dish on our blog of October 7, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with a Date Salad with Arugula and Almonds.

Kalua Pork and Salmon and Caviar Appetizers

Once again we purchased Pork from Black Hogg. This time hit was Kalua Pork. I assume but don't know it has an Hawaiian  Style Marinade. At least it sounds Hawaiian to me. We liked it.

Walter the chef / owner of Republique (our favorite restaurant) had gifted Cathy for her birthday a container of Caviar. We had some left over Salmon so I made a Salmon Spread topped with Caviar. Quite the appetizer. Loved it! You can get the recipe for the Salmon Spread on our blog of: January 5, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Kalua Pork - Sunterra Farms Heritage Pork

Black Hogg

 

Preheat

convection oven: 275°

standard oven: 300°

 

1. wrap each piece of pork separately in foil (smaller pieces can be wrapped together).

2. place wrapped pieces into a dutch oven or a pot with a tight-fitting lid (make sure the thick part of foil is on the bottom, this will protect the meat).

3. pour 2 cups of water into pot and cover with lid.

4. place pot into oven and cook for 3 1/2 hours (after 2 hours check if the pot needs more water).

5. after 3 1/2 hours, remove from oven and take out pork pieces.  carefully unwrap with tongs.

6. if the meat is not fork tender, re-wrap and cook for another 30 min.

7. once meat is tender, place on cutting board and chop it into large chunks.  taste and add salt if desired.

8. enjoy over rice, drizzled with the sweet soy ginger sauce, add some pickled veggies and mac salad if you like!  

 

Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles

If you read this blog you have seen this dish many times! Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles is a favorite of ours. The recipe can be a spicy as you wish. It is a very good dish. You can read about it on our blog of: November 9, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.

Chicken with Mustard Vinaigrette

We made a Mustard Vinaigrette to go with the Salad and Potatoes and our leftover Chicken. The Vinaigrette was a perfect foil for the dish. I really liked it! This is a good salad dressing recipe!

Mustard Vinaigrette

New York Times

 

A generous spoonful of Dijon mustard makes this vinaigrette creamy and tart. Use the dressing with sturdy salad greens like romaine or with softer lettuces like Bibb lettuce or oak leaf. The dressing is too strong to work with baby salad greens or mesclun. It’s also great with cooked vegetables like beets or broccoli and with grain salads.

 

Ingredients

 

1       rounded tablespoon Dijon mustard

1-½  tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar

1       tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt

freshly ground pepper

½      cup extra virgin olive oil, or use half olive oil and half canola or grapeseed oil

1       small garlic clove

 

PREPARATION

In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Whisk in the oil.

2.    Peel the garlic clove and lightly crush, or cut down to the root end with a paring knife, keeping the garlic clove intact. Place in the dressing and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Remove from the dressing before serving.

Tip

Advance preparation: This dressing will keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Remove the garlic clove before storing.