It is my privilege to write about the Paella Gigante again. The annual festival is staged for the benefit of the Sociedad Española de Beneficenca (SEB), a nongovernment organization founded in 1948 by Spanish citizens residing in the Philippines.
Lally San José, Sociedad’s executive director, explained that Sociedad was initially established to provide shelter to indigent elderly Spanish citizens in the country.
This Saturday the giant paella, measuring 10 feet in diameter and that can serve 1,000, will be showcased at Greenbelt 3 Park.
The third run of the Festival de la Paella Gigante is part of The Gastronomy Festival at Ayala Malls and of the Department of Tourism’s Flavors of the Philippines Festival, in celebration of Madrid Fusión Manila.
Cooking the paella are some of the biggest names in the industry namely Carlo Miguel of 71 Gramercy and Draft, Fernando Aracama of Aracama Filipino Cuisine, Gilbert Pangilinan of Cerveseria and Kai, Sito Senn of the Country Club, Jerome Valencia of Tambai Yakitori Snack House, Mikel Arriet of Club Punta Fuego, James Antolin of Pastry Alliance of the Philippines, and Les Toques Blanches Philippines Chefs Association president J. Gamboa of Cirkulo and Milkyway Restaurants.
I too will cook and join the fun!
In keeping with the festive spirit of the Paella Gigante and Madrid Fusión, here are three delicious paella recipes shared by Chefs J Gamboa and Mikel Arriet.
Cirkulo’s Paella Negra
Saffron seasoned rice with baby prawns, squid, sea bass and squid ink by Chef J Gamboa. Serves 3-4.
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon onions, minced
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 pieces squid, small, cleaned and sliced
6 pcs shrimp, peeled
50 grams sea Bass fillet, diced
¼ c green peppers, diced
¼ c red peppers, diced
¼ c tomato Concasse
1 tsp paprika, pimenton de la vera
1 c short grain rice
2 c fish stock
1 pinch saffron
1 tbsp squid ink
6 pcs baby prawns
4 pcs leeks, white part only
4 pcs roasted red peppers, sliced
salt and pepper, to taste
Heat paellera, add olive oil and sauté onions and garlic until a little brown.
Add seafood (except baby prawns) and continue to sauté. Add peppers, tomato, and paprika
Season
Add rice and sauté for 2 minutes
Add hot fish stock with saffron into mixture and boil for 5 minutes.
Mix in squid ink
Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
Top with baby prawns, peppers, leeks and cover. Continue to cook for 3 minutes until prawns are done. Finish with extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley on the top.
Cirkulo’s Paella a la Montana
Wild mushroom paella by Chef J. Gamboa. Serves 3-4.
1/4 c olive oil
2 cloves garlic, whole peeled
½ c onions, minced
½ c mushrooms, shitake, sliced
½ c mushrooms, button, sliced
½ c mushrooms, oyster, sliced
½ c mushrooms, abalone, sliced pinch saffron
(You can also use 2 cups assorted mushrooms).
1 c rice, short grain
2 c chicken stock salt and pepper, to taste
1 c asparagus tips, blanched
In a sauté pan or paellera, heat olive oil
Add garlic and sauté until golden brown
Remove garlic and set aside
In the oil, sauté the onions and all the mushrooms until soft
Set aside half of the mushrooms together with the garlic, this will be used as a topping later.
To the remaining mushrooms add the saffron and rice. Sauté for 3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper
Bring down to a simmer and cover for 12 minutes or until rice is almost done.
Season asparagus with salt and pepper.
Top the paella with asparagus and reserved mushrooms and garlic
Drizzle with some olive oil
Serve
Paella
This version by Chef Mikkel Arriet also serves 4.
4 tbsp olive oil
4 baby prawns, unpeeled
1 squid cut in to 4
200 grams lapu-lapu
4 mussels
1 chicken breast cut into 4
100 grams liempo cut into 4
Half white onion, chopped
1 each small green and red peppers, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 tbsp.tomato sauce
4 espresso coffee cups of rice (arborio or paella rice)
8 espresso cups of warm fish or chicken stock with one pinch of saffron
pinch of yellow food color, optional
One lemon for garnish
In a paellera, put olive oil and add the prawns, cook and remove after 1 minute. Set aside
Add squid, fish, sauté. Remove again, set aside
Add liempo and chicken, cook until slightly browned
Add onion, garlic bell pepper
Cook until tender
Add the tomato sauce
Add rice, and cook for about a minute
Add warm stock with saffron
Bring to a boil, simmer and cook until rice is done
Season
Arrange prawns and seafood
Garnish with lemon before serving
Each order of paella at the Paella Gigante Festival at Greenbelt 3 Park this Saturday will cost P200. For tickets, call Alex, Bryan or Bern of SEB at 8430742, 8430739 or 0916-3188793. Tickets will also be sold on site.
Cooking starts at 5 p.m. We all hope to see you there!
