Chicken Paella with Cardamom

I tried my hand at cooking a Chicken Paella with Cardamom,  this is my take on it though with a little Indian spice twist.  Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

10 small pcs  Boneless Skinless Chicken  Cutlets 

3/4 cup  Rice I used Shirakiku Calrose

1 3/4  cups  Water  (Rice to water ratio is key, it has to be 1 part  Rice to 2 parts Water plus a little bit more for an open pan)

1 large  Beefsteak  tomato diced and leave 3 round slices 

1 Medium Bell Pepper julienned (I used a yellow one)

1  tbsp Pemienton (Spanish sweet paprika)

4 Cloves of Garlic minced

5 pods Cardamom

3 tbsp Extravirgin Olive Oil

Salt and Fresh ground pepper (I use a pepper mill)

Season the raw Chicken with salt a pepper to taste, then brown in the pan on both sides under high heat.  Once the chicken are browned, remove from the pan and set aside.   Toast the crushed cardamom pods for a few seconds in the oilve oil,  throw in  the minced garlic don't let it burn so keep stirring, thow in the julienned bell peppers,  then the diced tomatoes stir thoroughly.   When the tomatoes have cooked down add the Rice.  Add a little salt and pepper to taste and the Pemienton, stir until all the rice is coated with the Pemienton.  Cook until the Rice becomes almost translucent, then add the water.  Stir to deglaze the pan and spead out the rice for even cooking.   Wait until it starts to boil then add the Chicken back, spread out evenly.  Just lay the chicken on top, just immersed in the fluids, don't mix it in.  Place the Beefsteak Tomato slices on top.  Let it simmer on high heat for 5 minutes then lower it down to low-medium and leave for 15 to 20 min.  Ressist the urge to touch, don't even try to taste.  Just leave the whole thing alone and don't cover.  You'll know when it's done when you can hear a little crackling noise from the bottom of the pan.   A proper Paella should have a crust in the bottom.  Serve and enjoy!

I might be biased,  but my Chicken Paella with Cardamom turned out delicious  ;-).  And there's that added surprise from the cardamom when you get a burst of what I would describe as a "bouquet of flowers in your mouth".  I had mine with a nice bottle of Mission St. Pale Ale  4.6% ABV, light crisp citrusy sweet, and lemony bitterness.

Taste Buds Fatigue

If you can get over the ever confusing San Vicente Blvd. in the Mid-Wilshire area , you can find a nice Spanish restaurant called La Paella.  Almost everyone in our group had to go around the block at least once to find this place.  Inside, the place gives a very homey vibe, candle-lit tables, lots of hand painted ceramic plates on the wall, very colorful and vibrant.  A woman singing Spanish songs was playing in the background.  

We got a few tapas: Calamares a la Plancha (Grilled Squid with garlic and parsley), Mejillones Costa Brava (Steamed mussles with white wine), Gambas al Ajillo (Shrimp sautee with garlic and chili pod), Vieras al Ajillo (Scallops sautee with garlic and chili pod), Callos a la Madrileña (Tripe stew with sausage and garbanzo beans), Boquerones en Vinagre (Marinated anchovy filets), and Jamon Serrano from Spain.  I really enjoyed each and every tapa,  the seafoods were clearly fresh and deliciously cooked lightly, making it soft and savory.  The Mejillones,  steamed mussles, were so good we ordered another one, the wine broth made excellent dipping for the crusty bread.  The Callos had a creamy texture that felt like butter on the tongue and the savory mix of chorizos, garbanzos and tomatoes makes you forget it is tripe.   I expected the Boquerones to be salty and fishy, so I was delightfully surprised to find it fresh, sweet, and tart, reminds me of pickled Herring.  The Jamon Serrano from Spain was also so good we had to order another one.  The paper-thin slices of ham looked deliciously smooth and glossy, the bite is firm not soft, and the taste is unforgettable, nutty and sweet, with a wonderfully floral hint.  

We had two huge pans of paellas, what a magnificent sight,  Paella Valenciana Mixta (lower)  and Paella de Montaña con Chorizo (upper).   

The Paella Valenciana is made with rice, seafood and vegetables with saffron and rosemary.  The dish is pure eye candy.  I think Paellas are the best looking dishes.   In terms of taste, this is sensory overdrive with so much going on in your palate.  Delicious but a little salty.  The Paella de Montaña con Chorizo is made with rice, chicken, in-lieu of the traditional rabbit, pork chorizo, green beans and lima beans with saffron.  Also delicious,  I must have had some form of "taste buds fatigue" because I swear both paellas tasted the same!  Except for the distinct seafood flavor in the Valenciana and the robust flavor of chorizo in the Montaña.  These were still superb dishes that I would come back for.

Unfortunately, they did not have any Txakoli, so I had some Estrella Damm beer to go with my food, a Spanish pilsner beer from Barcelona, light crisp and refreshing, goes very well with Spanish food.   I took this picture with my iPhone before the tapas were served.  I looked at the picture and decided to bring out the camera.  

La Paella

476 S. San Vicente Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90048

Bocadillos

I blame Anthony Bourdain for my recent quest for Spanish foods. His No Reservation show's recent episode on Spain was so good it makes you wanna pack up and leave the next day for Spain. And since reality hits you on the head going through the door. I digress. Scouring the web for places to go to for anything Spanish I came accross La Española in Harbor City.

The place is not difficult to locate but once you are there the warehouse-look makes you wonder if you are in the right place. See the small door in the picture go in there, at first I thought it was the backdoor or something.

Once in, you are in a treasure trove of anything Española, Bomba rice, Cabrales cheese, Rioja wine, Chorizos, Jamons and even Paella pans. Like a kid in a candy store.




After picking up a few items, I asked if they could make me a Bocadillo $5.49, a Spanish sandwich made with Jamon Serrano, Manchego Cheese (sheep), dry cured sausage, roasted piquillo peppers, drizzled with some olive oil in a toasted bread. And to wash it all down I had some Spanish beer, Estrella Galicia Cerveza $1.75.


The Bocadillo came with a side of preserved olives, garlics, peppers, and what looks to me like slices of gherkins. I took my food to a covered patio on the side of the building with tables and chairs.



The sandwich was absolutely delicious, the crunchy bread, the chewiness and smoky salty goodness of the Jamon Serrano, and the manchego cheese added a wonderful aroma. The preserved olive, garlic, and pepper were soaked in olive oil and pimienton, yum.



The Estrella Galicia beer was a light pilsiner they kept in the freezer next to the cheeses, so it was refreshingly cold for a hot day. There was nothing extraordinary about this beer. It complimented the Bocadillo, the nice light crisp taste cuts through the robustness of the sandwich.

This will easily become one of my favorite sandwiches and guaranteed I'll be back for more.

La Española
25020 Doble Ave.
Harbor City, CA 90710
(310) 539-0455