BLACK RICE WITH SARDINES

With Pete I ordered Rrossejat, a local signature dish variation on Paella, The rice is fried first which gives it a chewey texture not dissimilar to Farro (spelt). The flavour is built as usual with a 'sofregit' of aromatics and a stock which I guess includes squid ink as it always appears to be quite dark. This particular restaurant chose a garnish of baked sardines which were just that...a garnish, cooked on top of the rice. I have to confess it was ok....but not outstanding. I've had more sensory pleasure from Valencian Paellas and Aroces in their various meat/fish combinations, particularly a Rabbit and Snail recipe I had once with tender broadbeans. The dark Rossejat had also taken on a slightly metallic taint from the castiron pan it was cooked in. I'll try it again soon and see if it impresses more. but for the time being the jury is out...

MISTAKES COME IN 3's so they say....

Well I managed to accrue my 3rd food-based cock-up to follow on from the Prawns and Percebes. Let's hope this is the end of it and I can get back to some good gastronomic discoveries. Anyway I was in one of my favorite tapas bars and wanted to try some new stuff. Liked the sound of 'Aros de cebolla rebozado' believing that aros must be Catalan for Aroz (rice). So I had made up my mind this was some kind of interesting rice dish with onions. I asked the waitress and she gabbled away at me and I made the fatal mistake of nodding when I didn't really understand. Actually I did understand her, but her explanation didn't match my preconception, so I assumed I had misunderstood. She said 'it's a bit like Calamares (fried squid rings) and very delicious'. I assumed there would be squid in the rice dish. So I ordered it and almost burst out laughing when I realized what it was. DEEP FRIED BATTERED ONION RINGS!!! 'Aros' has nothing to do with 'aroz' but means 'ring' . So I sat in the deepest of Catalan bars trying to explore the inner mysteries of Catalonia's most fundamental ingredient and all I get is a McDonalds-ish bowl of onion rings. What's that expression about 'assumption being the mother of all cock-ups......'?

How to cook a Paella for 500 people!!

Foodwise, the festival promised a giant street-cooked Paella for 500, public breakfast celebration of tuna and snail stew, two different sausage festivals, a Vermouth tasting, a Vermouth and mussel tasting, a 150 meter long cake, omelette tasting, another sausage tasting, another Tuna and Snail Stew, a cheese and wine tasting, a Tapas tasting, and yet another Tuna and Snail Stew-off!! Damn! they love their Tuna and Snails!
So how to cook Paella for 500.
Step 1:
Light a gert big fire under a gert big pan. Tip in 25kg of shellfish and get someone to start stiring with and oar.

Step 2:
Get a man in a white jumpsuit to chuck in chopped onions, tomatoes and about 50 kg rice.

Step 3:
Lubricate Rice with buckets and buckets of hot stock.

Step 4:
Lubricated workers so they don't dry out!!!

Step 5:
Serve up to the waiting crowd