Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
4 lb chicken pieces
1 large onion, diced
3 red bell peppers, diced
5 cup chicken stock or low-sodium chicken, broth
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 cup short-grain rice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp saffron
3 lb plum tomatoes peeled, seeded and c, hopped
16 large shrimp
16 clams
16 mussels
Directions
HEAT THE OIL IN THE POT over medium heat and brown the chicken on all
sides, in batches if necessary. Remove the pieces as they are done
and add the onion and peppers. Cook 5 minutes, stirring. Meanwhile,
bring the chicken stock to a boil in a separate pot. When the peppers
and onions are done, reduce heat to low and add the garlic, rice,
salt and pepper. Stir to coat the rice with the oil. Add the stock
and the saffron. Add the tomatoes. Replace the chicken pieces, cover
and cook for 25 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook another 10 minutes.
If the pot has gotten too dry, add a little water or more stock. Add
the clams and mussels and cook until they open. Remove from the heat
and serve from the casserole. Accompany with lemon wedges.
MICHAEL ROBERTS - PRODIGY GUEST CHEFS COOKBOOK
Servings: 10 servings
Paella (Prodigy) Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Fish; Spanish
The History of Recipes
It is possible to track the history of `recipes` back into the far past, in truth as far as ancient Egypt, and possibly even further. In practice though, these, ancient cook books were just basic hieroglyphic instructions for meal preparation.
In fact, the most ancient recipe found, according to academics is a collection of stone tablets in Sumerian which describe the preparation of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel exhilarated and blissful. Later, we have two interesting cookery books which date from the 1300s : a cookery book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary titled `Curye on Inglish`. Despite their titles, these two books are nothing to do with the spicy food that is served today, but rather recipes for the types of food prepared by the cooks of the rich and powerful. Later, in the fifteenth century, knights returning from the crusades brought us many new spices and herbs from the Middle-East, including spices such as basil and rosemary. The introduction of these new culinary ideas led to a surge in books on cooking, some of which still exist in private collections. For the decades that followed, the rich families of Wesstern Europe tried to lay on the most exotic meals, and as a result chefs and their collection of recipes were much in demand. However, it was during the 1800s the formal cooking and recipe publications really came of age. The Famous Mrs Beeton in the UK, and the equally famous Fannie Farmer in the USA, dedicated years of their lives to collating, trying out, and recording the recipes that were being prepared for the better households. By the time we get to the 1900s, cooking publications are increasing in popularity mostly due to increased literacy, more spare time and having more disposable income. The arrival of television brings us celebrity chefs and the recipe books that accompanied them. And that brings us to the present day and the internet revolution, allowing us all to search through massive numbers of recipes like those on sites such as this. |
We hope you enjoy this Paella (Prodigy) recipe.
