Review: Spanish night at my house

[Grace]

Last Saturday night, I entertained my MIL and her boyfriend, and a friend of mine and her husband. I chose Spanish night as I received a paella pan from my MIL for my birthday, with the promise that I would make them paella. So I put together an entire Spanish menu. It turned out FANTASTIC. Better than I would have imagined!! This belongs on the thread that someone else started, but it is now one of my new goals to entertain more often, and do something "theme based". I have always done more typical, tried and true stuff, and this was just so much more fun!!

Here's what we had:

Chorizo a la llama (CL Aug 01) - This was excellent! I served it as an appetizer (tapas). I went downtown to a Spanish market (Deli Iberico - inside Cafe Iberico for those of you from Chicago who are interested in knowing). I bought the really good Spanish chorizo instead of the usual mexican variety that you find in the grocery store. Wow. Everyone rated this one very highly, and it was the first time I had flambeed anything......spectacular!!

Sherried Mushroom Empanada (I think that was the name?) from Epicurious. This was made with puff pastry, so it wasn't exactly light, but it was the only thing on the entire menu that wasn't light, so I figured it was ok. Boy was this good. It also called for the Spanish Serrano Ham which I also got at the Spanish deli. Everyone raved about it. I served it in small portions as another tapas.

Gazpacho Andaluz (CL Aug 01) - this was good too - VERY garlicky! The only thing I did differently was NOT to strain it. I tried straining it, and I guess my strainer was just too fine, as the "juice" that was strained out was so watery and sick looking - I couldn't possibly have served it strained. It had absolutely no body or texture. So I served it unstrained, and topped it with a few crushed croutons for even more flavor. Also very good.

Sangria - (Cooks Illustrated) - this was probably the best thing we had all evening!! We all rated this a 13!!! (On a 1 to 10 scale!!!). FANTASTIC!!!! And I don't care for alcohol very much (don't like the taste) - but this was really, really terrific.

Seafood Paella - (CL Aug 01) - I made this exactly as written. I went to the Spice House and got the smoked Spanish paprika, which they had in both sweet and hot. I bought some of each and used half sweet and half hot. If I ever made this again (which I probably won't), I would use all of the hot, since it wasn't very spicy at all. This was rated like a 7 by everyone except one person who gave it a 9. While it was good, I would like to try the one with cilantro and lime from a couple years back next time. I had 6 people and there were no leftovers, so it must have been pretty good.

Orange Scented Flan with Roasted Pineapple - (CL Mar 98). My oh my oh my. This was the piece de resistance!! The roasted pineapple was to die for!! My MIL's boyfriend said he could eat that dessert every night of the week no problem! I did have trouble carmelizing the sugar for the flan, but I got on the board and did a search and read everyone's good tips that were posted here on how to get it to turn out, so the second time I tried carmelizing the sugar I had great success!!! The actual flan part was unbelievably simple - mixing a few ingredients in a bowl and pouring into the prepared pan. A DEFINITE KEEPER!!!!!!!

We sat outside, the weather was PERFECT, we had the tiki torches lit, and all in all it was probably my best evening entertaining that I ever had!!!!

Can't wait to try the next "theme dinner"!! And as always, I'll look to CL and this BB to make sure it is a complete success!!

[KValley]

WOWZA Grace, this sounds incredible!! You are a culinary goddess! (she says, sulking over having just sliced the tip of her finger, chopping tomatoes). Really, this meal sounds so beautiful. You have my envy and admiration.

Bleeding on the keyboard,

Julir

[BlueMoose]

Grace, next time we're in Chicago I'm inviting myself over for dinner! ;)

[Lynn B]

HOW FUN! And everything sounded simply delicious! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing! Can't wait to hear about your NEXT "adventure"... !!!

Drooling and in awe, :)
Lynn

[jliah]

Wow!! I'm SO impressed. I feel exhausted just thinking about all the shopping and work you did for that meal! I only wish I could have been there, too!!

Would someone mind posting the Orange Scented Flan with Roasted Pineapple - (CL Mar 98)?

Thanks!

[tracey67]

Grace - KValley said it best... WOWZA! What a menu! I was thinking of having a spanish-themed dinner party myself - forgive me if I steal your menu ;)

PS - BlueMoose...LOVE you new avatar (I liked the old one too, but this one is TOO cute!)

tracey

[kima]

Way to go Grace!! I would love it if you could share your "game plan " for preparing such an elaborate meaal. I consider myself a good and experienced cook but I never make so many dishes for one meal. I'd love to hear how you manage it- timewise and getting everything to the table hot and or fresh!!
Thanks, Maureen

[Grace]

Thanks everyone for sharing in my joy and enthusiasm!! I can't tell you how much fun it was. I really enjoyed myself, and even though it seems by looking at the menu that there must have been a lot of work involved, it was actually all rather easy! I made the gazpacho, flan, roasted pineapple and sangria early in the day, all of which went together quickly (I mean really, gazpacho is just dumping everything into the food processor and turning it on for two minutes!! And these could all have easily been made the DAY before if I'd wanted to). The empanada required maybe 20 minutes or half an hour to prepare (I used frozen puff pastry dough), and I made that ahead of time too. Then, just as the guests began arriving, I put the empanada back in the oven to warm up briefly, I cooked the chorizo in a skillet while everyone was standing in the kitchen sipping Sangria (and flambeed it with an audience!), and then I sent everyone outside, cut up the empanada, quickly assembled the chorizo appetizers, put them on a platter and went out onto the deck to serve them.

My MIL's boyfriend likes to cook and requested that I not make the paella until he got there. He wanted to watch/help so he could see how it's done (talk about pressure!) Once he got there (he was late), the paella only took about 20 minutes to put together. Then it went into the oven at which time I served the gazpacho (which is served cold, so no problem there.) The paella only needed 20 minutes in the oven, and then 10 minutes to sit, so we used those 10 minutes to chat before the paella was ready to serve.

The flan just needed to be unmolded and cut into individual servings, but if you had enough fridge space for 6 separate dessert plates, you could even do that ahead of time too. It was actually the most relaxed I've ever been at one of my own dinner parties. I actually got to sit and enjoy. I also had the Gypsy Kings music playing in the background! :cool:

Julie - SOOOO sorry about your poor finger!!! The perils of our passions, eh? But believe me, I am NO culinary Goddess (thanks for the vote of confidence anyway!!) I give SO much credit to CL, and even moreso to this BB!!! It has inspired me beyond my own belief. If you would have told me a year ago that I would be doing these kinds of recipes, etc., I would have said you were nuts. The hardest part actually was doing the research on the recipes, and coming up with the menu! I tend to be a perfectionist, and everything has to be "just so", so I belabored my decision on every recipe! Part of the problem was that there were almost TOO many choices!! I did a search on Sangria and came up with like 10 recipes!! Which one to make????? Glad I chose the Cooks Illustrated one. There were so many different paella recipes too, and about 15 different flan recipes in my CookWare alone.....decisions, decisions!!! But I'm quite happy with every choice I made, except for maybe the paella. Wish I would have chosen the spicy cilantro and lime one, but I was trying to make everything "authentic". Ah well, live and learn!

All in all, this board is the MOST wonderful resource, and my life has been unbelievably enriched by all the thoughts and ideas and advice from each and every person who contributes here. I don't know what I did without it before, and if there ever comes a day when the CL BB is no more, well, I just don't know WHAT I'd do! Sorry to be so long winded, but last Saturday night was a real pinnacle for me. I feel like I've come such a long way from what I used to be capable of. And I'm thankful you all can relate and enjoy it with me!

jliah, here is the recipe for the flan. You will love it! I have to mention that I left the mint out of the roasted pineapple part completely (I don't care for mint - and it overpowers everything). When I think about it, I still don't think it would have gone well with the other flavors. I'll continue to leave it out!

CookWare(tm) from Cooking Light(r)

Orange-Scented Flan With Roasted Pineapple

SOURCE: Cooking Light YEAR: March 1998 PAGE: 117

INGREDIENTS FOR 8 SERVINGS:
5 cups (1/2-inch-thick) chunks fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon stick margarine or butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon minced fresh mint
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 vanilla bean, split or 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
3 large eggs
2 large egg whites

INSTRUCTIONS:
Roasted pineapple can also be served over low-fat ice cream or angel food
cake.

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a 3-quart casserole. Bake at 450 degrees for 40 minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven. Stir in mint; set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

3. Combine the milk, orange rind, and vanilla bean in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat; cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat; discard vanilla bean. (If using vanilla extract, remove milk mixture from heat; stir in extract.)

4. Combine 3/4 cup sugar and water in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat; cook until golden (about 15 minutes). Immediately pour into a 9-inch round cake pan, tipping quickly until the caramelized sugar coats bottom of pan.

5. Combine milk mixture, 3/4 cup sugar, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place cake pan in a large shallow pan; add hot water to shallow pan to a depth of 1 inch. Cover with foil; bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cake pan from water; cool completely on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 3 hours.

6. Loosen the edges of the flan with a knife or rubber spatula. Place a plate, upside down, on top of pan; invert flan onto plate. Drizzle any remaining caramelized syrup over flan. Cut flan into 8 wedges; top with pineapple mixture. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 wedge flan and about 1/2 cup pineapple).

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION:
CALORIES 219 (17% from fat); FAT 4.2g (sat 1.9g, mono 1.3g, poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 4.4g; CARB 42.9g; FIBER 1.5g; CHOL 70mg; IRON 0.6mg; SODIUM 67mg; CALC 72mg

[MKSquared]

That meal sounds INCREDIBLE.

I have a question about the flan, though. I am usually very anti-orange + creamy -- Creamsicles are right out. (Yuk!) The roasted pineapple looks great, though. Was the flan more "scented" with the orange, or was the orange a prominent flavor?

[kima]

Nice try Grace- admit it you are a wonder cook!!!:D
Just kidding- thanks for sharing!!

[Grace]

Originally posted by MKSquared
That meal sounds INCREDIBLE.

I have a question about the flan, though. I am usually very anti-orange + creamy -- Creamsicles are right out. (Yuk!) The roasted pineapple looks great, though. Was the flan more "scented" with the orange, or was the orange a prominent flavor?

MK, it was definitely more "scented" - not a prominent flavor at all, and truly you could leave the orange zest out all together and it would still be good. By no means did it remind me of a creamsicle !! I would put it in if I made it again, because I did think it enhanced the recipe. I bet you could use lemon zest or even lime zest (think key lime pie?) and it would still be fantastic. Enjoy.

[SusanL]

Wow, Grace how could you keep this a secret since last Saturday?? I am printing this thread, but would you possibly post the Sangria recipe? I went to Cooks Illustrated but I am not paying to get on their site. If you would post, I'd be most appreciative, I know that others are thinking the same thing;)

I have wanted to try the paella but now that someone else has, I think I will try it, but compare it to the other one!!

[Grace]

Hi Susan! I have a subscription to Cook's Illustrated, but I don't remember seeing the Sangria recipe there - I actually got it off this board. I always check here first when I want a recipe for something (I ran a search on "sangria" - lots of threads came up and I just went through all of them, in search of something that would jump out at me!) Someone recommended and posted the recipe, so I went with that. Here's a link to that thread, so you can see all the comments too:

http://www.cookinglight.com/vbb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11644&highlight=sangria

This board really is the best resource!! When I had trouble carmelizing the sugar, I got on the board and did a search and came up with the answers to all my questions/problems. Enjoy that Sangria - it's awesome!

[Meg O'C]

Grace,

That meal really does sound amazing! I would like to entertain more too but I always feel a little intimidated when cooking for an audience (DH, my parents and siblings are fine but beyond that, it's an audience). To your point, just choosing all the right recipes is the first hurdle and then timing it so that things come together just right - I always tend to underestimate how long it is going to take me to prepare something but I am getting better.

DH and I are moving into our first home in two weeks. We know we want to some work right away but after we are settled, I would like to entertain more. Your experience is inspiring. Please keep us posted as you do more entertaining and theme nights! The tips on timing of preparation are very helpful.

Congratulations on your success!

[Wendy w]

Wow Grace! What a dinner! Thanks for sharing! I have never tried to make Spanish food before and now you have inspired me.

[Zinnia]

It was so nice to hear about how great your dinner was! Like others, I want to throw a dinner party now :); I may cheat and use your menu though, lol:). It sounds awesome!
I always look here first for advice on any recipe I am considering making, and am so glad this place is here. It has been a definite plus all around. TY, :) Zinnia

[browneye]

Grace, that sounds so wonderful! I am totally inspired by you. You should be proud of yourself, girl!

Regarding the Paella, don't give up. I have been making Paella for years and believe I have finally gotten a very, very tasty Paella. It is a variation on a recipe from Epicurious. I played with it until I got it right. If you want, I can post it for you to try out. That Paella pan of yours must be employed again soon!!

The Paella recipe has seafood, sausage (optional), and red wine, lots of herbs, chicken....etc.

[Grace]

Oooh, Browneye, your paella recipe sounds fantastic!!! I would LOVE it if you would post it for me!!! Thank you, thank you - it would be a shame to let that beautiful paella pan just sit and collect dust......:D

[browneye]

Grace, here is my Paella. . This is sort of a result of a combo of several recipes for Paella that I have experimented with over the years. The grilling step adds a richness to the meats and peppers that can't be skipped. It is much more labor intensive than the CL Paella, but I think it is so worth it.

I have done many variations on this, and of course, don't always use the lobster, etc. but it is very pretty and impressive.
I also do a quick and dirty version of this....but it's not as tasty. I have added artichoke hearts at times, and just made a grilled chicken, bell pepper and artichoke heart variation. I sometimes grill tomatoes and arrange them atop, too. The possibilities are endless.

You can make it as light as you want it to be by including or omitting the sausages, and/or using chicken and turkey sausage. When I make this for company, I don't worry about the fat as much, and use very good quality sausages, including a local Italian sausage (yes, PORK!!) and a Spanish Chorizo.

I make mine all in a very large saute pan with lid, I don't have a Paella pan... Dutch ovens also work fine if you don't have either.


* Exported from MasterCook *

SEAFOOD, SAUSAGE AND BELL PEPPER PAELLA

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :1:00
Categories : Fish And Shellfish Grilling
Rice

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/8 cup finely chopped fresh oregano
1/8 cup finely chopped fresh thyme
1/8 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons dry red wine
1/2 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
4 garlic cloves -- minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper -- (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt -- to taste
1/2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
6 chicken legs, skinless
1/2 pound chorizo -- Spanish Chorizo or Linguica, casings removed if fresh
2 large onions -- coarsely chopped
1/4 pound tomatoes -- cut into wedges
4 ounces ham slices -- cut into 2 x
1/4-inch strips
1 bay leaf
1/2 pound turkey italian sausage
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups bottled clam juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads -- crushed
2 cups short-grain rice
3/4 pound large shrimp -- peeled, deveined,
tails intact
8 clams -- scrubbed
8 mussels -- scrubbed and
debearded
1/2 pound halibut -- or sea bass fillets, cut into 1" pieces
2 8 ounce lobster tails -- frozen, uncooked. Thaw and split lengthwise

2 large yellow bell peppers -- quartered
2 large red bell peppers -- quartered
1/2 package frozen peas -- (10 ounce) thawed
Limes -- quartered
Lemon -- quartered


*Spanish chorizo, a fresh, garlic-flavored pork link sausage that is milder than Mexican chorizo, is available at Spanish markets. Linguiça, a similar Portuguese sausage, is available at Spanish and Latin American markets.

Combine oregano, thyme and parsley in small bowl. Transfer half of chopped herbs to processor. Add 2 tblsp olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine, peppercorns, coriander, 2 minced garlic cloves, cayenne, salt and vinegar. Blend until coarse paste forms. Add a little chicken broth if too thick. Place chicken on large plate. Rub all but 2 tablespoons paste mixture over chicken. Cover and chill until ready to use.

In a very large skillet or Paella pan, heat 1 Tblsp olive oil over medium heat. ADD chorizo, onions, tomatoes, ham, remaining chopped herbs and remaining 2 minced garlic cloves to the Paella pan. Cook until onions are soft but not brown, crumbling sausage with fork and stirring frequently, about 15 minutes. Transfer chorizo mixture to large bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate remaining 2 tablespoons herb paste, chicken legs and chorizo mixture separately.)

Add chicken and Italian sausages to the pan and cook until brown and partially cooked, turning frequently, about 8 minutes for sausages and 12 minutes for chicken. Transfer to plate. (these will continue to cook later) return the chorizo mixture to the pan.
Meanwhile, combine stock and clam juice and bay leaf. Add saffron and mix well.

Add rice to the Paella pan. Cook over high heat until opaque, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add remaining herb paste and remaining wine to the pan. Bring to simmer, scraping up any bits. Stir stock mixture into the rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is becoming tender, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Add the mussels, shrimp, fish and clams. Cover and steam another 5-10 minutes, or until clams and mussels have opened and shrimp is pink. Discard any clams or mussels that do not open.

Meanwhile, while the rice is cooking, prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush grill and lobster with vegetable oil. Place lobsters on grill shell side down. Add chicken and grill until lobster and chicken are cooked through, turning occasionally, about 15 minutes. Transfer to large plate. Tent with foil to keep warm. Add Italian sausage and bell peppers to grill and cook until sausage is cooked through and pepper are brown in spots, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Transfer sausages and peppers to another plate. Cut sausages into 2-inch pieces. Cut bell peppers into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Arrange chicken, lobster, sausage, peppers and peas atop the rice mixuture in the pan. Cover, remove from heat and let stand 15 minutes. Rearrange shellfish and peppers decoratively atop rice. Serve with lime and lemon wedges.



Cuisine:
"Spanish"
Start to Finish Time:
"1:30"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


Serving Ideas : Serve with a greens salad or fruit.

NOTES : Adapted from a Bon Appetit' recipe. Variations include the addition of artichoke hearts, ommission of the chorizo and/ or lobster. Very beautiful dish. I usually increase the fresh herbs. Serve with a Rioja.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[SusanL]

Now to pick a date to try these recipes:)
Again, thanks for sharing.

[aliwally]

Grace -

Sounds like you had a wonderful evening! I have one very important question about the paella - what rice did you use?

I ask, because a few weeks ago I cooked a Chicken Basque recipe (similar to paella in that it's rice based - throw it all in one pot and cook). Anyway, it called for Brown Basmati rice to cook 'al dente' - Well mine turned out hard as rock! It was terrible. I ended up cooking it 2.5 times longer than called for, the peppers turned to mush and DH and I ended up scooping out the meat and throwing the rest away.

I am now terrified when recipes says 'al dente' rice - I would prefer to just cook the rice completely. So please tell me in great detail, how did your paella rice turn out? And if you can remember which brand you used, that would be great.

And for anyone else out there who's an expert on rice - is it the process of coating the uncooked rice grains with butter/oil that stops them becoming completely soft?

[Grace]

I used arborio rice (the kind for risotto). It turned out perfectly, no problem at all. I think it has to do with the kind of rice - maybe coating basmati causes it not to cook, but coating the arborio (just like you do when you make risotto) was fine. It was so easy. You don't even have to stir in the liquid in stages - you just dump the preheated liquid (in this case it was clam juice and wine), stir it around once, and put the whole pan in the oven (uncovered). Then walk away and just leave it! After 20 minutes (I think that was the time), I took it out of the oven, put the lid on and let it sit for 10 more minutes. When I uncovered it, it was perfect. Couldn't be easier and more foolproof. You don't need to be worried about this recipe at all. Good luck if you try it. If you like spicier food, I would suggest spicing this one up a little. A little boring for my taste, but otherwise good.