New Paella Pan from The Spanish Table

Vegetarian Paella

I just got a big new paella pan from The Spanish Table. Bought a large model that serves 10-12 because it is one of my dishes for dinner parties. I'm really planning on using this one on my Big Green Egg in warmer weather, but with close to a foot of snow on the ground in Seattle and a full house with my folks in town, I decided to break it out and use it on my stove. Even with an imperfect burner arrangement, the rice turned out great. This was my first try with bomba rice, which many consider to be the finest, most absorbent variety.

If you live in Seattle, the Bay Area or Santa Fe, and haven't been to The Spanish Table, you've been missing out. They have all of the good Spanish supplies - olives, olive oil, cheeses, saffron, pimenton, rice, piquillo peppers, and the knowledge to help you select items you'll love. Plus other great stuff from the regions near Spain, like North Africa and Portugal. Not to menion a terrific collection of wines, cookbooks, and tableware. If you don't live nearby, the same great items are on their website (spanishtable.com).

And in case you missed it, here's my recipe for vegetarian paella.

Potatoes with Alioli - Ultra Garlicky Spanish Mayonnaise

Potatoes and alioli

Garlic, garlic and more garlic. Eat this before an episode of True Blood and you'll sleep better. But maybe don't serve it on a first date.

Alioli is a close Spanish cousin to the French aioli. It is a simple home-made mayonnaise which comes together in just a few minutes. You can serve it with any sort of vegetable, raw or cooked. It is also delicious with a slab of cold tortilla (Spanish frittata) on crusty bread. 

Alioli goes famously with potatoes, whether roasted, pan-fried, or simply boiled in their jackets as I did. Your guests can simply smash a potato lightly on their plate and drizzle on a bit of the sauce. You can make it at the last minute, or up to a day in advance (refrigerating of course). The garlic flavor becomes even more intense but rounded overnight.

Like any homemade mayonnaise, it is made with raw eggs. Use your own judgement whether it is safe to eat. You may be able to find pasteurized whole eggs at some stores, which would make them safer. I personally wouldn't serve it to the very young or old, or anyone with a compromised immune system, but I happily eat it myself. I eat cookie dough too. I guess I just live on the edge like that.

Did I mention this is really garlicky and delicious?

Alioli (Garlicky Spanish Mayonnaise)
Makes 1.5 cups
Vegetarian and gluten-free; not vegan

• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 egg yolks
• 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice or sherry vinegar
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil (Spanish if possible)
• salt to taste

1. Mince the garlic to a fine paste and put it in the blender with the egg yolks and lemon juice and 1.5 teaspoons of salt.
2. Whiz for a minute.
3. Remove the little hole in the top of the blender and drizzle in the olive oil slowly, allowing it to emulsify. You'll know it is working if it turns thick and opaque.
4. Taste and add more salt or lemon juice if needed.

Persimmon, Parsley and Olive Salad - Recipe

Salad of parsley, persimmon and black olives

Persimmons are excellent right now. I was casting about for something refreshing and vaguely Spanish to serve with this rich dish of fideos, and hit on the idea of using persimmons in a salad that I usually make with blood oranges later in the winter.

The two common varieties of persimmon are Fuyus, which are rather squat, and Hachiyas, which are more oblong. Fuyus are eaten crisp, while Hachiyas are inedibly astringent until they are as soft as pudding. So for this salad you will only want to use Fuyu persimmons. The flavor is moderately sweet and flowery, with a slight tang and muskiness, somewhat similar to mango. You generally have to peel the fruit unless the skin is surprisingly tender. (By the way, these Zyliss Soft Skin Peeler are incredible for peeling fruit including tomatoes).

It might seem strange to use parsley as the "lettuce" in a salad, but I think you will like it. It isn't the sort of thing you eat a huge plate of, it is more of an accompaniment to cleanse the palate. You want to throw some fresh mint or basil in there? No hard feelings. A little thinly sliced red onion or scallion would be welcome too.

Persimmon, Parsley and Olive Salad
Serves 4 as a side dish
Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free

• 1 bunch of flat leaf Italian parsley (curly wouldn't be good here), cleaned and thoroughly dried, only leaves and very thin stems
• 2 Fuyu persimmons, peeled if needed, medium dice
• 1 cup flavorful black olives, pitted
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sherry vinegar
• salt (maybe not needed if the olives are very salty)
• fresh-ground black pepper

1. Everything can be prepared in advance, but don't toss until you are ready to serve as it will all wilt. It takes less than a minute to do the final assembly.
2. Toss together the parsley, persimmon and olives.
3. Drizzle in olive oil and toss to coat lightly, then a tablespoon or two of vinegar and toss again, and finally salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Mound on a platter or distribute on individual plates.