Daring Cooks #4: A Delicious Spanish Dish

Rice with Mushrooms, Cuttlefish Chicken, and Artichokes


That was the Daring Cook's challenge for this month, chosen by Olga of Olga's Recipes. I swapped out only one ingredient as you can tell, since I didn't want to waste perfectly good cuttlefish. As it was, I'm glad I only made half the recipe.

Why?


Because it was so delicious that two of us quickly devoured it.



I made this last Saturday so I could take my time and enjoy the preparation.


First I made the Sofregit, a tasty melange of caramelized onions and fresh tomatoes with some garlic, green pepper, and mushrooms thrown in as well. It goes really well with leftover meatloaf, I might add.



The next component was the Aioli sauce. It's like making mayonnaise with a bunch of garlic. It truly added the best flavor to the finished rice dish. It took awhile to prepare, since you crush the garlic with a mortar and pestle before dribbling in the oil, a drop at a time. I did eventually switch to a whisk to help it along.




This lovely dish also gave me an opportunity to use some of the saffron I received as a Mother's Day gift from my older daughter. It was a most thoughtful and useful gift. Spices and herbs are always welcome.



Chicken, mushrooms, and artichokes, merrily cooking along:



I also used Arborio rice, which resulted in a nice, creamy texture. The photo really doesn't do it justice. Trust me, it was wonderful, and definitely a dish I will make again.




The post day for Daring Cooks is August 14. Since I'll be out of town, I'm sending this to autopost and keeping my fingers crossed that Blogger actually posts it. From the previews, I know that many of the Daring Cooks ended up with spectacular results, so take time to check them out. For the recipes, go to Olga's blog.


The new challenge will be posted right after I return, so I'm looking forward to the next cooking adventure.