Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
CHILE OIL
¼ cup calabrian chiles (drained)
1 cup olive oil
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Saffron Yellow Pepper Sauce
pinch of saffron
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 yellow bell peppers (roasted until soft, peeled, seeded and chopped)
1 teaspoon clover honey
1 cup blended olive/canola oil
Fried Baby Artichokes
6 baby artichokes, trimmed (halved or quartered depending on how big)
canola oil
kosher salt
Heat the oil in a 15-inch paella pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat. In a medium bowl, add the cooked rice and mushrooms and mix to combine. Add the rice mixture to the hot oil and press into an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Press down with heat-proof rubber spatula until the bottom begins to turn golden brown and crispy.
Add the kale on. Make 4 shallow wells in the top of paella and crack 1 egg into each well. Cover paella pan with aluminum foil or another large pan. Cook paella over medium heat until egg whites are just set, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat.
Top the paella with fried artichokes, lemon zest and drizzle with chile oil and saffron sauce. Serve straight from the pan.
For the Cooked Rice: heat the oil in a large high-sided sauté pan or medium Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced.
Add 2 cups of the stock and cook until reduced then begin adding 1 cup of stock at a time and cook, stirring constantly, until the cook is al dente, about 30 minutes; season with salt and pepper.
For the Sautéed Mushrooms: heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the mushrooms are golden brown and dry, season with salt and pepper.
For the Mushroom Stock: heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Add cremini mushrooms, thyme, parsley, peppercorns, salt, and 8 cups cold water, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 30 minutes longer.
Strain stock into a clean saucepan and keep warm over low heat (you should have about 7 cups).
For the Sautéed Kale: heat oil in large sauté pan over high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the kale and cook until crisp tender, add garlic, salt and pepper and cook until just cooked through, about 6 minutes.
For the Calabrian Chile Oil: (Yields approximately ½ cup) combine chiles and oil in a food processor and process until smooth, season with salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer into a bowl. Transfer to a nice cruet.
For the Saffron Yellow Pepper Sauce: combine the saffron, vinegar, garlic, mustard and salt and pepper in a blender and let sit for 5 minutes; blend until smooth
With the motor running, slowly add the oil and blend until emulsified; add the honey and blend for a few seconds longer. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt or pepper or vinegar, if needed. Transfer to a squeeze bottle.
For Fried Baby Artichokes: heat oil in a high sided pan to 350ºF. Fry the artichokes until golden brown and crisp. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt.
Tips:
– The best part of paella is the crust on the bottom called the soccarat. The goal is to achieve a crispy, browned crust all the way around the bottom of the paella pan. Monitor heat and rotate the pan to prevent burning and even browning!
– Use store-bought mushroom stock for a short-cut!
