Petiteoiseau

We spent the afternoon on the roof yesterday hoping to enjoy some of that fall sunlight. Then we migrated to the club room, “Theres a fireplace in there”, and that was that. I love my parents fireplace and I forget how much I miss having one living in a condo in the city. So we turned that sucker on and lounged and watched Barefoot Contessa, and salivated at her “Blue Print” lunch so much that we made it ourselves. Adapted from Here

1/4 cup good olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
2 red bell peppers, cored and sliced into 1/2-inch strips
2 tablespoons minced garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
2 cups white basmati rice
5 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes*
1 tablespoon kosher salt*
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat**
1 pound kielbasa, sliced 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 lemons, cut into wedges


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the bell peppers and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir in the rice, chicken stock, saffron, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. After 15 minutes, stir the rice gently with a wooden spoon, and return it to the over to bake uncovered for 10 to 15 more minutes (at 450 degrees), until the rice is fully cooked.

Transfer the paella back to the stove top. Turn off the heat and add the lobster, kielbasa, and peas and stir gently. Cover the paella, and allow it to steam for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve hot (with a glass of cabernet, as seen in the picture).

*we used smoked salt and smoked paprika instead of regular salt and crushed red pepper flakes
**Because my fish monger can’t just provide me with pounds of precooked lobster we used 3 lobster tails which we baked, and then manhandled to remove the meat; this was probably the most difficult part of the entire thing.