Recipe: Saucy Mushroom Paella Thing.

[arjache]

I've made this a couple of times now. The first time I just threw whatever sounded good into the pan, and it was incredible, but I wasn't sure I could ever reinvent it. I just remade it last night, and it seems to have held up admirably.

Paella, or something approximating it

• Heat up some chicken broth, and soak assorted dried mushrooms in it - shiitake seems the key flavor here, but whatever you've got, really.
• In a wide pan, sauté a generous helping of minced garlic in olive oil.
• Add rice to the pan and toast lightly in the oil until it takes on a golden translucent quality. I like a mixture of brown, wild rice, and arborio - the arborio's starch will make it very saucy, but the brown and wild rice will leave it with a good toothiness.
• Add the broth and mushrooms, stir like mad.
• Then add the following:
  • Spices: Cumin, saffron, smoked paprika. Red pepper flake if you want it spicy.
  • Other plant matter: Tomatoes, red wine. Corn or whatever other vegetable you have on hand.

Cook at least until the rice is soft enough to eat, and until you've boiled off however much liquid you feel like. I like to cook mine to the texture of chili, but you might prefer a drier approach. Season to taste.

Measuring advisory: I don't usually measure things in the kitchen unless I'm baking. I would estimate I used about a 3:1 ratio of liquid to rice; your mileage may vary. Just keep tasting it along the way and you should be able to sort out what amounts are needed.