The Impatient Chef Recipe - Paella!

Summer is here and the time is right for...

Paella!

The way to know when summer has arrived in my household is when the Paella pan comes out of hiding.

Paella comes from Spain, and has been taking hold in the US for the last decade, or so.  It seriously tries The Impatient Chef's patience, but the finished product is worth it.  This recipe is an amalgamation of a few different versions with some additions (shrimp and chorizo) of my own that turned out to not actually be original.  Oh well.  For me, they are indispensable.  

Ingredients:

• 1 pound tomatoes, or a 16 oz can diced tomatoes 
• 9 cups chicken broth 
• 3 cups Bomba, Paella or Arborio rice.  Any of these would work.  
• 20 threads saffron 
• 2 sprigs rosemary.  Remove the leaves from the stems
• 3 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on, chicken thighs
• 1 pound ground pork chorizo sausage (optional, but why would you not use it?) 
• 1 pound medium to large shrimp (optional, but… well… it’s shrimp!) 
• 1/2 pound fresh green beans, ends cut off, and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cups chopped red bell pepper 
• 7 cloves garlic, minced 

Equipment: Chimney starter, paper, and about 4 pounds natural lump charcoal, 15-inch carbon steel paella pan, kettle grill.  

Directions:

1. Start the grill:  Crumble some paper (I use Visa receipts because they can't be recycled), and put it into the bottom of a charcoal chimney starter.  Fill the chimney with half of the charcoal and light the paper.  
2. When the charcoal is looking ashy, pour it onto the bottom grate of the grill and spread it out.  Add the remaining charcoal, and spread it evenly.  Add the cooking grate to the grill, but don't put the Paella pan onto it yet.  
3. You need to give the coals a little time to settle down before cooking, so its important to start the coals first.  You can start the prep while they are in the chimney, but make sure you give them some time.  My most recent Paella suffered from forgetting to do this.  I had the Fires of Hell under the pan when I started, and it it was difficult to get everything done without burning.  I lost about a third of the batch to over-charring.  There is supposed to be a layer of "socarrat", or lightly-charred rice, on the bottom of the pan.  There is not supposed to be a layer of creosote.  
4. Start your prep:  If you use fresh tomatoes, just dice them.  I have always done well with using canned, diced tomatoes. You can also use ground tomatoes as well.  Do all of the chopping and cutting mentioned in the ingredients list.  
   
   
   
5. Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons of salt.
6. Warm the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat until it reaches 200 degrees F.  Put on the lid, and turn the burner to low, or just remove it from the stove.  
7. In a mixing bowl, add the rice, saffron, rosemary, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and paprika.  mix it with your hands for a few seconds.  
8. Put your Paella pan onto the grill.  Let it heat for a few seconds.  
9. Add the olive oil to the pan (remember, no Fires of Hell). 
10. If you are using chorizo and shrimp, cook this first for 4 minutes.  If the shrimp is raw, add it to the chorizo after 3 minutes.  Remove both to a bowl for later, leaving the spicy oils in the pan.  If the shrimp is precooked, add it when you add back the chorizo in a few steps.  
11. place the chicken into the pan, and fry until golden brown on both sides.  It should take about 5 to 6 minutes per side.  
    
    
    
12. Remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.  Add the green beans, and red bell pepper to the center of the pan and cook until they begin to soften and darken in color, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and stir for an additional minute.  
13. Add the tomatoes, and cook until most of the liquid is gone.  This is usually just a few minutes.   
14. Add the rice mixture to the center of the pan and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute.  
15. Add back the cooked shrimp and chorizo at this point, and spread the rice mixture evenly throughout the pan.  
16. Place the chicken pieces on top of the rice, and press down lightly to nestle them into the rice.  They should not touch the bottom, though.  
17. Add 4 cups of the warm chicken broth, and make sure that the rice mixture is still evenly distributed.  The rice should be completely submerged in the liquid.  You can press it under the liquid with a spatula or long spoon if necessary.  Do not stir the paella from here on.  To get socarrat, you have to leave it undisturbed.
18. After about 8 to 9 minutes, the liquid should be mostly absorbed.  Add 4 more cups of broth.  Cook for 8 to 9 more minutes without stirring. The rice should be al dente at this point.  Distribute the remaining cup of broth.  Add a little to spots where the rice is poking through the liquid. 
19. After a few more minutes, you should hear a light sizzling from the bottom of the pan.  If you don't hear it, don't worry.  The rice shouldn't look soupy, but it also should not be totally dry.  It should look like the picture below.  
20. Remove the pan from the grill, and cover it with a couple of kitchen towels.  Leave it rest for about 15 minutes.  Any remaining liquid should be absorbed by the rice.  

It may take a few attempts to get it right, but it is rewarding, and will feed an army, or give you a week of leftovers.  

Enjoy!

The Impatient Chef.  

The Impatient Chef Presents: Cadillac Ham with Grits and Red Eye Gravy

Swimming in Coffee!

The Impatient Chef has been experimenting with southern cooking for a few years, having watched Sean Brock on Parts Unknown and a few other cooking shows. A Cajun seafood boil at a local restaurant called “My Brother’s Crawfish” also played a big role.

Sean Brock is a southern chef who has taken southern cuisine back to its roots and to new heights. The Impatient Chef suggests seeking his cookbooks out. 

 

Brewing up a new take on an old dish.

The Impatient Chef likes to, as it were, fiddle with traditions while culinary Rome burns. The following recipe is an example. I wanted to see what would happen if I upped the ante on the ham.

The word “Cadillac” is used mostly with cocktails to denote expensive drinks that use premium spirits. I once bought a Cadillac Margarita at a local upscale restaurant. It was very good.

With that in mind, The Impatient Chef presents: Cadillac Ham with Grits and Red Eye Gravy. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb slab of prosciutto, about 3/8” thick.
• 2 eggs 
• 1/2 cup Anson Mills Coarse White Grits 
• 2 cups water 
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt 
• 1/2 tsp white pepper 
• 3/4 cup freshly brewed coffee 
• 2 dashes cayenne pepper 
• vegetable oil 
• olive oil 
• butter 

Directions:

1. Anson Mills Coarse Grits require an overnight soak and careful cooking the next morning. The Impatient Chef grits his teeth, and uses these very patient grits because they are really good. You will find the recipe for making them here: https://ansonmills.com/recipes/489?recipes_by=grain. If you do not have the patience, use Bob’s Red Mill White Grits because they are a close second. Impatience ≠ bad food. For Bob’s Red Mill Grits, add the salt and pepper about half way through cooking. 
   
2. While the grits are cooking, cube the prosciutto. 
   
   
   
3. Make coffee. Set aside 3/4 cup. Add 2 dashed cayenne pepper to it. 
4. Heat an iron skillet on medium high, and add a couple teaspoons of vegetable oil. 
5. Note: If you use the Anson Mills grits, wait until they are just about done to start frying the prosciutto. They take about 50 minutes. 
6. Fry the prosciutto until the sides are browned like almost-done bacon. Do not fry it crisp because it will become too hard, but you want to have fond on on the bottom of the pan to deglaze with the coffee. Remove from pan when browned. 
7. Pour the coffee into the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Work the bottom of the pan with the spoon until the fond is suspended in the coffee. It is now red eye gravy. 
8. Fry the eggs over easy, or however you like them in a couple of teaspoons of olive oil. 
9. In two bowls, put half of the grits into each, followed by about a teaspoon of butter. Spoon on the fried prosciutto, and then lay a fried egg on top. Pour half of the red eye gravy onto each. 

Enjoy!

The Impatient Chef

Visit my photography website at www.quaygang.com

The Impatient Chef Clam Chowder (and Fish & Chips) Review: Gracie's Sea Hag in Depoe Bay, Oregon

In this episode, we set out to find New England Clam Chowder in its natural habitat: The Oregon Coast.  

Really, why the Oregon Coast? Why not, say, New England?  

The simple answer is that The Impatient Chef does not have that much rocket fuel, but the best reason is that The Impatient Chef really likes the Oregon Coast.  

You may ask why The Impatient Chef reviews specific foods in a restaurant instead of reviewing the whole restaurant.  First, (why do you ask so many questions?) The Impatient Chef doesn't pretend to be able to deduce the entire menu with a few visits.  Second, and more importantly, The Impatient Chef really likes certain foods, and quests after the finest versions within striking distance of home.  

These foods include:

• The Ruben Sandwich
• New England Clam Chowder
• Fish and Chips
• Sushi 
• Tempura
• Any dish containing shrimp (extra points for also including garlic).  

Which leads us to the main course of this review:

Chowder

(And a few other things)

Gracie's Chowder Rules the Oregon Coast from On High

The Impatient Chef was rudely interrupted in his review of Gracie's Sea Hag by a pandemic.  I'm certain that the details are superfluous, but let's just say here was a 2-year gap in visits that should have been just a few months.  

As readers of this blog already know, I use rating scales based on the best example of the food.  For fish and chips, it’s called the Rose & Thistle Scale, because that establishment (in Portland, Oregon) has the best ones I have ever had.  I felt that it was time create a scale for clam chowder.  After all, most places that serve fish and chips also serve clam chowder.  In getting ready for this quest, I tried a number of clam chowders throughout Oregon, and southern Washington.

Some notable chowders:

• Rogue Public House - Astoria, Oregon 
• The Baldwin Saloon - The Dalles Oregon 
• Tippy Canoe - Troutdale, Oregon (burned down in 2020 (insert sad, droopy emoji))
• The Local Grille - Cannon Beach - Oregon
• Bridge Water Bistro - Astoria, Oregon 

Some not so notable:

• McMenamins Highland Pub - Portland, Oregon 
• The Mesquitery - Hood River, Oregon (great flavor, but it was %$&#! tepid)

The quest took me to Depoe Bay, Oregon, home of the world’s smallest harbor, gray whales, orcas, and most importantly, Gracie’s Sea Hag. 

Gracie's Sea Hag has a reputation for serving excellent seafood with an atmosphere that has changed little since the 1970's.  You will find dark wooden paneling, stained glass, and sea themed photographs on the walls that have gone blue from exposure to light from the windows.

Like its decor, the Sea Hag serves no frills food that also has not changed very much over the years.  There is a nod to current trends like coconut prawns, or La Bouillabaisse, but the core is the traditional fish, and shellfish meals - chowder, deep fried everything, and salmon - that you remember from your childhood.  They do a really good job of it, though.

In the Spring of 2019, my wife and I drove to Depoe Bay, for the specific purpose of reviewing the Sea Hag's chowder, of which, I am happy to say, we were not strangers to.   

The soup comes with oyster crackers, as all must, and with melted butter on top along with a sprinkle of paprika.  The melted butter really is a special touch. You DO NOT eat New England Clam Chowder to lose weight, so stir the butter in, and enjoy it.  The texture is thick and creamy.  The taste has just the right amount of clam flavor.  You can tell that this stuff does not come from a carton or a can.  Soups thickened with a roux have that luxurious mouth feel, as this one does.  You can see other diners occasionally give that look - you know, eyes mostly closed, or rolled up in joy - like tasting a fine chocolate.   It's the real deal.  You could have bought it 50 years ago, and you're likely to be able to buy it 50 years from now.

One of the marks of a successful chowder is not needing to add salt or pepper.  The Sea Hag's chowder does not need anything.  It really hits all of the high notes.  The Impatient Chef highly recommends it, and hereby proclaims that the benchmark for clam chowders in future reviews will be the Sea Hag scale.  

The rest of the meal consisted of Shrimp & Chips, and Fish & Chips.

The shrimp, again, was very good.  The breading was crispy, with very little fryer oil taste, and the shrimp was not overdone.  If I had one complaint, it was that the cocktail sauce needed more horseradish.  

The Impatient Chef had the Fish & Chips.  Note that we got smaller portions on purpose.  Their normal serving is larger.  Like the shrimp, the breading was excellent, and the flavor was good.  The tarter sauce was very good, and not too sweet.

The fries were average.  They started out somewhat crispy, but did not fare well as they cooled.  They did not pass the salt test, which is that the fries are good enough to not require ketchup even as they cool, and the only seasoning necessary is salt.  

All and all, I gave it an 8 on the Rose & Thistle Scale. 

We traveled back to the Sea Hag in May, 2021, and the results were less consistent.  This was a little disappointing.  

We ordered the combination platter.  There was no change in the fries, tarter sauce, or shrimp, but the fish had changed, and not for the better.  The breading was light, and not crisp, and fell off easily.  The fish (cod) tasted very good, but it was let down by the breading.  This was odd, because the breading on the other items, shrimp, oysters, and scallops was very good.  I'm not sure how it happened.  The Fish & Chips part of the platter rated a 6 on the Rose & Thistle Scale.  The oysters were their usual, gamey selves.  The Impatient Chef refers to them as "Mutton of the Sea".  They are an acquired taste as long as you don't think about what you are eating.  The scallops were much cleaner tasting, and rather divine in the cocktail sauce (which could still use a little more horseradish), and the shrimp, well, the shrimp was as always excellent.  

Next, however, was a real treat: Deep Fried Pickles.

 

And these really were a treat. There was crunch on the pickle and crisp on the breading. The pickle was flavorful, tart, but not vinegary. The Ranch dressing not overpowering. The breading was crispy, and with very little oil flavor. The portion was just right. They were the best deep fried pickles I’ve had. If the fish had been given the same treatment, it would have maintained its rating of 8 on the Rose & Thistle Scale.  

If you are within striking distance, give Gracie's a try.  A 6 on the Rose & Thistle Scale is still not bad, but it's the chowder that wins the day.  It's the best on the Oregon Coast.