Tapas Tips: Albacore-Stuffed Piquillo Peppers

I was torn. Vacillating. Perplexed, even. My brother was making his first paella on the grill for a group of friends and he'd asked the invited guests to contribute a tapa to serve before the main event.

Bruce working the grill like a boss.

Like visions of sugarplums, the many possibilities danced through my head. Mussels or clams with chorizo in a broth of rosé? A classic potato-and-egg tortilla Española? Maybe deviled eggs with anchovy-stuffed green olives? Or how about those fab albacore-and-caper-filled piquillo peppers I'd made for a previous gathering at his place?

See what I mean? A veritable embarrassment of riches to choose from, especially at the height of the summer harvest season. What to do?

A masterpiece!

That's when I happened to read my friend Cynthia Nims's ode to her favorite egg salad, a mint-and-egg combo with green onion, olive oil and lemon juice as the only additions. So I thought to myself, what about combining flaked albacore with chopped hard-boiled egg, the aforementioned green olives, and throw in some green onion and a drizzle of olive oil, then using that to fill what are rapidly becoming my favorite roasted peppers? (Piquillos, in case I lost you back there.)

The result? Turned out to be what may be, at least until I try Cynthia's version, my new favorite egg salad!

Piquillo Peppers Stuffed With Albacore, Hardboiled Eggs and Olives

12 roasted piquillo peppers, drained and patted dry
6.5 oz. albacore tuna (I like the no-salt, line-caught Sweet Creek Foods in its own juice)
10 anchovy-stuffed Spanish olives, finely chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. slivered green onions (green part only)
2 cloves garlic (pressed in a garlic press or smashed with a knife and minced)
2 Tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste

Flake the tuna and add its juice in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Add more olive oil to help bind it if necessary. Add salt to taste. Using a fork, fill peppers with the tuna mixture but don't overstuff.

This makes a great sandwich, too, if you have leftover filling. Just mix in some finely chopped piquillo peppers, a dollop of mayonnaise to moisten, and enjoy!

Check out this recipe for a mildly piquant piquillo pepper sauce. And here's my recipe for an easy paella on the grill.

Camp Stories: Return to Paradise

It was the Fourth of July and at 10 o'clock at night it was pitch dark and instead of sounding like a war zone, with booms, cracks, flashing lights and sulphurous clouds of smoke drifting across the battlefield of competing patriotic displays, all we could hear was the quiet burble of the Wind River as it rushed over rounded stones on its way to join the Columbia.

Camp cocktails? Yes, please!

Rather than having to drug our dogs, or watch them pant and shiver and pace through the conflagration—"Go outside? No thanks, I'll just hold it till tomorrow."—they were bedded down quietly at the other end of the tent we'd pitched at Paradise Creek campground in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest north of Carson, Washington.

Our annual pilgrimage, which had ballooned in past years to 14 people in five campsites but this year, for various reasons, numbered only five members in two sites, was a much simpler affair but no less delicious (or fun). While a big group of good friends has always been a blast, fewer people meant much less coordination, and led to simpler packing—salami and cheese instead of dozens of fresh oysters—and much more time reading in beach chairs streamside.

Cast iron-baked scones.

I'd wanted to try my hand at a campfire paella and Dave was itching to use his cast iron, footed Dutch oven to make scones using a perforated cast iron trivet to prevent scorching (left). And of course we had the usual fixings for negronis and martinis to help smooth any bumps in our mattresses at night.

The paella (top photo) was amazingly simple, since I used the frozen stock in place of one of the bags of ice in the freezer chest, and had simplified the list of main ingredients to chicken, frozen shrimp, olives and chorizo. Thanks to Dave's expert fire-building, the split dry fir from the "Camp Wood!" guys down the road burned down to a lovely bed of coals. A little sautéing over the fire, then adding the stock over the top and a half hour later—just enough time for a cocktail, thank you—dinner was ready.

Breakfast of champions.

The scones were a tour de force, and even Dave admitted that he was as surprised as anyone that they turned out so well. He'd mixed the dry ingredients at home, then added the rest at camp. Then it was flattening the dough, cutting it in segments, and putting it on parchment paper on the trivet in the bottom of the preheated Dutch oven. There was a little concern that the oven hadn't gotten up to temperature, but when the time was up he opened the lid and that flattened disk of dough had turned into perfectly light and fluffy scones. Needless to say, there was much oohing and aahing around the breakfast table.

And me? I'll take these kind of fireworks over the other kind any time.

For an idea of how to make paella on a campfire, check out my recipe for paella on the grill.

Spots Before My Eyes

Not to brag, but I've made some pretty spectacular paellas on the grill in the last several years. The heat from the wood fire, the smokiness it lends, the bitter edge and dynamite color from the saffron…there's really nothing like it.

But I think the one I made last night for my sister-in-law's birthday might have been one for the record books. The recipe remained pretty much the same, though with homemade fish stock instead of chicken stock, and piquillo peppers, a few baby shrimp left over from the appetizers and chopped green beans from the garden. I'd gone by Newman's Fish Market earlier in the day to pick up the usual pound of mussels, but they were sold out. Same with their clams. I was about to turn and head out the door when the tattooed young fellow behind the counter asked, "Did you see these spot prawns?"

One glance told me that I had my solution. I'd heard about these lovelies up in Vancouver, BC, where they hold an annual Spot Prawn Festival at the beginning of May to celebrate this northern Pacific coastal delicacy. Though certainly not cheap compared to the ubiquitous pink shrimp, these were big and fat and packed with deep red-orange roe, which I'd never seen before. My new friend with the tats said to put them in the paella at the very end of cooking, for only five minutes or so they wouldn't overcook.

I nodded and ran out the door with my package. When I got home I pulled off the legs and scooped out the roe, leaving the shells on to add a little extra flavor to the rice. Then just as I was pulling the paella off the grill, I sprinkled the roe in the center so it would warm up ever so slightly.

So there you go. I've given away my secrets again, but seriously get some of these beauties if you see them in the case. They'll send whatever dish you put them in right over the top!

Thanks to Kathryn for snapping the photo at top before the crowd demolished it!

Livin' in the Blurbs: Challenge, Celebrate, Win!

There's nothing like watching chefs go toque-to-toque for culinary supremacy as evidenced by the popularity of Iron Chef and its ilk. But if you've never seen a live version of this food fight, get yourself down to Pioneer Courthouse Square on Monday, Aug. 22, for the Country Chef Challenge at the Portland Farmers' Market. The throw-down for three of Portland's premier chefs, Anthony "Kid" Cafiero, Jason "Roundhouse" French and Cathy "Rabbit Punch" Whims, is to shop the market in 30 minutes for ingredients to make a dish of their choice, then to make that dish within 30 minutes. The top prize for best dish will be awarded by a panel of celebrity judges, and visitors will get reusable canvas bags and a chance to win a $100 gift card to each of the competing chefs’ restaurants. So do you think the tomato logo looks more like French or Cafiero? (Just asking.)

Details: Country Financial Country Chef Challenge. Mon., Aug. 22, 11:30 am-1 pm; free. Portland Farmers' Market at Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW Broadway & Morrison St. 503-241-0032.

* * *

Hillsdale Main Street was founded to  rejuvenate and invigorate Southwest Portland's Hillsdale community, and it's throwing a giant Paella Party to celebrate the neighborhood's awesomeness. Not coincidentally, it's also going to be the largest paella ever made in Oregon, with the traditional Valencian dish of rice, saffron, meats and vegetables cooked in a five foot wide paella pan that will serve 300. Chef Ted Coonfield has primary responsibility for pulling off this culinary feat, but preparing a monster like this is more than one man can handle, so he's enlisted the aid of his pals Greg Higgins of Higgins Restaurant and Bar and Chris Biard from Napa's Auberge du Soleil. The evening will include making the paella, yes, but will also feature flamenco dancers and wine tasting, with tapas, breads and desserts from Baker & Spice. So get in on this record-setting opportunity and enjoy a late summer evening in a great Portland neighborhood.

Details: Hillsdale Paella Dinner. Sat., Sept. 10, 6 pm; $75, tickets available online. Event will take place next to Korkage Wine Shop, 6351 SW Capitol Hwy. Info: 503-896-9211.

* * *

Call it soda pop, pop, soda, or soft drink, Portland's own Hotlips Soda is bent on not being just another beverage battling for your thirst, but a true People's Soda. To celebrate their 1,000,000th bottle, they're asking you to share how you enjoy your favorite Hotlips Soda flavor in a photo, drawing, recipe, video or even a song. They'll be awarding prizes from now until Sept. 9 on a daily and weekly basis, and then pick a grand prize winner to receive a case of 24 bottles of the winner's favorite soda. So if you're a fan, check the contest web page for entry details.

Details: Hotlips Soda's 1,000,000th Bottle Contest. Entry details on their website.

Pie-Ay-Uh, Pie-el-lah

You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto;
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto,
Let's call the whole thing off!

- from "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" by George and Ira Gershwin

Whenever I mention that I'm thinking about making paella, Dave immediately says "Puh-AY-zhuh." He's not correcting me, he's merely referring to an episode of Lynne Rossetto Kasper's "Splendid Table" where the sexy, lushly accented voice of Anya Von Bremzen discussed the art of making…well…puh-AY-zhuh, forever changing the way he thinks of that word.

Recently we had friends coming over for dinner. They're big fans of anything cooked over a fire and we were discussing what might be fun to make for them. All the major animal and piscean groups were covered and nothing was striking that special "gotta have it" chord. Then I mentioned paella, and the above-mentioned conversation ensued.

And for those who've never made it, whether on a stovetop or grill, the ingredient list may look long, but it comes together quickly and easily once the chopping and dicing is done. I just put everything in small bowls on a tray (the diced chicken and mussels wait in the fridge), have the stock in a pan on the stove, and I'm good to go when the fire's ready.

For drinks to kick off the warm summer evening Dave made the very refreshing Souracher from local bartender extraordinaire Dave Shenaut while the paella simmered. When the pan was ceremoniously paraded from grill to table, we opened a bottle of the richly colored, dry 2010 Reflection Pinot Noir Rosé from Portland's own Boedecker Cellars followed by a 2001 Luis Cañas Rioja from my brother's wine shop, Vino.

With a simply dressed salad of garden greens, no matter how you say it, I call that a successful evening.

Paella on the Grill

This is a recipe I've written about previously but have modified over the years. It calls for Spanish chorizo and mussels, but you should feel free to substitute your own favorite seafood…just don’t use Mexican chorizo, an entirely different kind of sausage. It also works well on the stovetop cooked in a paella pan or a large skillet.

1/8 tsp. saffron
1/2 c. dry white wine
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow or white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper or combination, chopped
2 lbs. chicken thighs, chopped in 1-inch pieces
8 oz. Spanish chorizo, sliced into 1/8" slices
4 c. arborio or bomba rice2 Tbsp. smoked Spanish paprika (called pimenton)
1/2 c. green olives, cut into thirds (we use Spanish anchovy-stuffed olives)
1/2 lb. large frozen shrimp, thawed and tails removed

6-8 c. chicken or fish stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb. mussels or steamer clams

Place saffron in small bowl. Pour wine on top and allow to infuse at least 10 minutes while prepping other ingredients.

Build fire in barbecue grill. Once coals are white hot, spread coals in a single layer and place paella pan on the grill about 4 inches above coals. Pour in olive oil and heat till shimmering, then add chopped onions, garlic and pepper and sauté till tender. Add chicken pieces and brown lightly, then add chorizo and sauté till warmed. Stir in smoked paprika. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes, then add saffron/wine mixture, and stock until it just covers the rice mixture. Top with shrimp and olives. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place grill cover on the barbecue and cook for approximately 20 minutes without stirring, checking occasionally to make sure rice doesn’t get too dry. Add more stock or water as needed, allowing brown crust (called socarrat in Spanish) to form on bottom and sides without burning. Before rice is completely done, add mussels or clams hinge-side down so they stand up in the pan and their juices run into the paella. Serve when shells open and meat inside is cooked, approximately 3 minutes.

Basque Inspiration

You gotta love food stories that start with a romance…they practically write themselves. Like when I was interviewing Ethan Bisagna for a story on great farmers' market meals and he mentioned that when he was a butcher at Clyde Common he met a kindred spirit in sous-chef Ashley Brown. I had to restrain myself from shouting, "Gold!"

He loved her passion for the foods of Spain and its Basque culture, developed over years of travel, cooking and eating there. Their mutual love of good food got them talking about building a business, which led to building a life together. Ethan recently left his post as head butcher at Laurelhurst Market to launch Feastworks with Ashley, selling their sausages and charcuterie at the Beaverton, Northwest Portland and Woodstock farmers markets.

One of the sausages they make is chistorra, a long, thin, richly spiced sausage packed with the flavors of her favorite region. I bought a few at a recent stop at Feastworks' Beaverton market stand and brought them home to throw on the grill for dinner. The question was, what to have with it that would complement but not compete with its lovely spiciness?

I was pondering making a rice dish, and when I mentioned it to Dave he said, "Oh, like paella?" and a brand new favorite was born. The grilled sausages alongside were fantastic, but you could just as easily treat them like traditional Spanish chorizo, cutting them into 1" chunks and throwing them into the pan before you sauté the onions and garlic.

On egin!*

Basque-inspired Rice

10-15 threads saffron
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion
2-3 cloves garlic
2 c. arborio rice1 tsp. pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika)
1/2 c. dry white wine or rosé
4 c. chicken stock
1 c. tomatoes, chopped in large chunks or hand-crushed if canned
1/4 c. piquillo peppers, chopped
10 green Spanish olives, chopped (I use Spanish anchovy-stuffed olives)
1 bay leaf

Put saffron and salt into mortar and grind until saffron is crushed. Set aside.

Heat oil in skillet and add onion and garlic. Sauté over medium heat till translucent. Add rice and stir for about a minute, then stir in pimenton and saffron salt. Add wine and stir until liquid is absorbed, then add stock, tomatoes, piquillo peppers and bay leaf. Bring to a strong simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook until rice is done. If it gets too dry, add liquid but don't stir; a little browned crust, called socarrat, on the bottom is a good thing. Adjust salt and serve.

* Basque version of "bon appétit."

The "L" Word

I have a friend whose son, now in his 20s, will not eat leftovers. He calls them "old food," as in "I don't like old food."

I, on the other hand, have always loved leftovers, though growing up in a family of five (parents, myself, two younger brothers) there wasn't a whole lot left over after dinner, especially when those boys became adolescents. Not that they were grabbing food out of my mouth, mind you, but because I did some of the cooking I made sure to make things they felt were a little questionable. Like straying from their strict "meat and potatoes" regimen and using vegetables and spices, thus assuring myself of plenty to eat plus leftovers. Diabolical, no?

So when I was stuck for something to make for dinner recently, I did what I always do: open the refrigerator door and scan the shelves and bins, looking for inspiration. Kind of like Lynn Rosetto Casper of The Splendid Table does with her "Stump the Cook" segment, where she has to come up with a dish made from five ingredients given to her by a caller.

The five ingredients I found? Chorizo sausage leftover from pizza-making, leftover duck and part of a pork chop from a terrific birthday dinner at Alba Osteria, rice and smoked chicken stock. All I had to do was add some saffron, onions and garlic and I had the makings of a fine paella.

What five ingredients have you used lately to make an inspired dinner? Leave your solutions to this age-old conundrum by clicking on the Comments button below!

Photo of salametto piccante from Fra Mani Handcrafted Salumi. Great product, btw!

Loving Lauro

I have to apologize to you, dear readers. For leading you down the garden path, for taking advantage of your trusting natures, for not being fussier and bitchier and harder-to-satisfy. But, you see, I just can't help myself. When presented with an opportunity to go out for dinner and not have to cook yet another family meal, I lose all sense of propriety, not to mention discernment.

If the service is a bit slow, the courses a tad ill-paced, the food not the absolute definition of perfection, well, at least I don't have to clean up the dishes. I usually just order a cocktail (not a fancy one, at least not until I know the bartender) or pour another glass of wine. So, again, I beg your forgiveness for yet another rave of yet another terrific meal.

This time it was at Lauro, David Machado's Spanish and Portuguese-inflected bistro on Division. We met friends George and Edie for an early (5 pm) dinner and had our pick of tables, with generally attentive but not-too-intrusive service and some decent cocktails. Even if the olives in the martinis weren't pitted. (For the record, George likes them pit-in. Go fig.)

We started with their calamari with piri piri sauce, the squid lightly battered and tender but the sauce a bit vinegary, covering up the flavor of the piri piri chiles. But the grilled shrimp with a lively, chunky tomato sauce made up for any shortcomings on the part of the piri piri. This is sauce to die for, to sop up, to lick off the plate. Oh, and the shrimp with a bit of broiled cheese on top was lovely, too, perfectly luscious and tender and good with the sauce.

The beef daube with polenta was smashing, deeply succulent hunks of braised beef with two triangles of fried polenta alongside. And the special of artic char (below, right) on a bed of stewed lentils and roasted potatoes topped with a garlic aioli was the ideal dish for this beautiful fall day, not too heavy but decidedly hearty.

I have to note here that as we tucked into our orders, the place got quite busy but the noise level at our window table was very manageable, an unusual (and quite welcome) occurrence in my experience at other Portland dining establishments. Our dinner with drinks, appetizers, wine and desserts came in under $50 apiece not including the tip, so it's a spot I'd recommend heartily for a nice but not too expensive evening out.

Details: Lauro Kitchen, 3377 SE Division, #106. Phone 503-239-7000.

Paella for Twelve!

You know when you get all excited about a project and then at some point it sometimes spirals out of control? Well, we almost had Mercury leaving its orbit and crashing into Venus, starting a galactic pinball game around here last weekend. As part of writing an article for Culinate.com on making paella on the grill (based on the blog entry you all read here), I volunteered to have the photo shoot at the house.

My most excellent and talented friend, Mr. Bloch, said he'd do it gratis (thanks, Steve!) and Culinate editor Kim and her husband James accepted our invitation to supervise. Then, of course, I invited my brother Bruce and his partner in crime Wendy. So we're up to, what...three...four...six...eight? And Kathryn and Jeff weren't busy and Tim and Luan had missed the last paella feed opportunity, so that brings us to...EEK!...twelve???

Fortunately the paella recipe is infinitely expandable and Cost Plus has very reasonably priced glassware and table accessories, so with a little creative mixing of silverware patterns, we were all set to go. The evening came off without major hitches (okay, okay...I miscounted and set the table for ten instead of twelve, but we squeezed in two more without too much fuss), everyone had their fill of appies, including, if I do say so myself, a lovely fava bean spread (see above), there was rosé and red wine aplenty with rhubarb crisp and coffee for dessert.

As they all toddled off home and Tim zipped off on his new scooter, we sighed and started working through the detritus of yet another successful evening. Now all I have to do is hope that the article I wrote last week measures up!

Paella on the Grill

Paella is one of the definitive examples of Spanish cuisine and one that very few people here know about. It's hard to find on restaurant menus and even harder to find one that brings out the complex flavors of the ingredients while maintaining the textural integrity of what is basically a simple rice dish. We've been experimenting with it for several years and, with apologies to my Spanish friends, we think we've got a pretty good version going here.

It starts with great ingredients like Fra' Mani's Spanish-style chorizo, smoked paprika, green olives from Spain that are stuffed with anchovies (known as "crack olives" around here because you simply can't stop yourself from eating handfuls of them), saffron and fresh seafood. Plus some chicken thighs, a rich stock, arborio or bomba rice, colorful peppers and the essential onions and garlic.

While Dave is busy lighting the grill, I'm in the kitchen chopping vegetables and steeping the saffron in a dry white wine to soften it and bring out its amazing flavor and color. And when the fire's ready and we've got a nice bed of hot coals, it's just a matter of putting the paella pan on the grill, sautéing the vegetables in a bit of olive oil, adding the chicken to brown and then the chorizo to warm it up and frying the rice for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the stock, add the olives and cover it with the lid of the grill to let that wonderful smoke infuse the dish. A few minutes before serving we add mussels or clams hinge-side down and let them cook briefly, and it's done.

A challenge we've been working on lately is to achieve a good carmelized bottom crust, known as the socarrat. The trick seems to be in getting just the right ratio of stock to rice, so the rice softens but maintains a slight crunch while being dry enough to form that crust and yet not burn from the heat of the coals.

We love paella for dinner parties because it feeds a crowd and is fun to bring to the table and serve from its pan. Plus you don't really need anything else with it except maybe a simple green salad and some full-bodied, earthy red wine. If you're interested in trying it yourself, you can get the recipe here.

Details: Chorizo, rice and olives available at Foster & Dobbs; olives also available in large (1.5 lb.) cans at City Market on NW 21st; smoked paprika available at New Seasons.