Pete Evans creates caveman-friendly recipes in his cookbook, The Paleo Chef. All recipes are free of gluten, grain and dairy.
Spain is regarded as being at the forefront of the modern culinary movement, and a lot of chefs from around the world, including myself, make pilgrimages to this wonderful country to experience the most creative kitchens in the world. Some people may think it sacrilege to change rice, the main ingredient in paella, to cauliflower. However, one of the fathers of modernist cuisine, Ferran Adrià, from the former elBulli restaurant in Roses, Spain, reinvented couscous by cutting cauliflower into match head–sized pieces so that it resembled tiny couscous grains. This version of paella captures the essence of a great paella—without rice. I hope you enjoy this modern approach to a classic.
4-6 servings
- Pour the stock into a saucepan, place over medium heat, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in the saffron threads, and set aside to infuse for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the cauliflower in a food processor and process into tiny pieces resembling the size of rice. Set aside.
- Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over medium heat, add the chorizo, and fry until golden and crispy, turning once, about 1 minute. Add the red bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, and sweet and smoked paprika and cook until the vegetables are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the warm stock, add the parsley stems, and bring a boil. Add the shrimp, mussels, and clams; place a lid on the pan and cook until the mussels and clams are open and the shrimp are cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower, cook for 1 minute, and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- To serve, transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with the parsley leaves, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and sprinkle with smoked paprika.
Reprinted with permission from The Paleo Chef, by Pete Evans, copyright 2014, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC.