I linked the full video if you guys want to see it in one part!

I feel like this video might make a few people mad but here we go.
Most of the time when I go eat paella at a restaurant, there’s not much seafood because there is only so much that can fit in the pan with all the shells and the seafood is far overcooked because it’s cooked alongside the rice. My method allows me to fit in way more seafood and control the cook of the seafood.
You might not like it, but this is how I, and my clients like it. It also allows my clients to be classy and eat without getting their hands dirty because most of the shellfish is right there.

#cooking #food #personalchef #privatechef #technique #spanishcuisine

this is how I make my paella as a personal chef in Beverly Hills This one’s going to be a long one with a lot of info so I hope you’re ready My clients are having guests tonight and they requested seafood paella Few things I want to get out of the way One of my clients cannot have fresh peppers so I will not be using any bell peppers in this dish First thing I want to do is get the sofrio going so I chop up a few onions throw it in a pot with enough olive oil to cover salt and a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary Normally I would put peppers in at this point but well I already told you why I’m not Then cook that down until it’s at the point where it’s about to start caramelizing I like to add the tomato paste and garlic around this time because I cooked the onion at a higher temperature at the beginning and don’t want to risk burning the tomato paste or the garlic I’m going to mix that in and throw it into the oven at 250° for 4 hours Just let that gently cook and deeply caramelize without worrying about burning it While that’s going I ran to Italy to get some seafood I’ve actually never been here this early so it was cool to see the fish case completely filled like this It’s beautiful Then my boy over here set me up with all my clams muscles scallops and shrimps I wanted to get lobster as well but they were looking pretty scrawny so I passed I had to go pick up some green bananas for my client but as some of you guys know I am color blind and cannot tell what bananas are green or yellow This has been my lifetime struggle so I hunted down an employee to help me out Thank you sir Then I headed back to my client’s home and it’s time for lunch One yolk and three egg whites with a slice of toasted sourdough bread I collect shrimp heads and shells whenever my clients request them just for these occasions So I took them out of the freezer laid them out on a sheet pan and get them roasting in the oven for stock It’s time to clean my seafood First are the scallops Most of you guys know this but for those who don’t this is called the foot of the scallop It’s the adductor muscle that holds the shell together and it’s pretty tough so we’re going to remove it Then I salt them put them onto paper towels on both sides to soak up any excess moisture For the shrimps I’m going to cure them with a mix of 3/4 salt and 1/4 sugar to season them and also to accentuate the sweetness of the shrimp I’m going to lay them on paper towels as well right next to the scallops to pick up moisture Now for some tedious work I like to really clean my shellfish especially muscles They always have little barnacles and things on them and I find the best way to get them clean is by using the tip of another muscle Just scrape them until they’re nice and pretty See look how nasty that is Always debeard your muscles It’s easy Just grab them and pull them For clams I usually like to let them soak in salted water overnight to purge them of any sand But we don’t have time for that today so I just shake them up and give them a rough mix and change the water a few times until the water runs clear Kind of like rice but with clams So this is where things deviate from how pa is traditionally made My clients and I really really like our seafood Like a whole lot of seafood So this is what I do In a large pot I just saute some onions and garlic with a bit of salt Throw in 95% of my shellfish saving a handful of each for the final cooking process and throw in a bunch of white wine to steam them I like to pull out the shellfish right as they pop open so that they’re not overcooking Over cooking shellfish is a crime Now to get all that shellfish meat to fit into my pa I remove all the meat from the shell This is also when I go through each piece of steamed muscle meat and make sure there are no hidden beards Nasty Then to that white wine liquid with all that flavorful clam and muscle juice I add back in the shells and the roasted shrimp shells Adding water and chicken stock I’m going to simmer this for an hour and this will be my paella stock Maximum seafood flavor And as you guys know guest means caviar So I do the usual buttered toast points chopped hard-boiled eggs and chives

30 Comments

  1. Got one for you, brother. Colorblind as well I live in Alaska. I’m a commercial fisherman. I’m sure you know what sea cucumbers are. I did that industry for three years every single dive I did the other Diver would catch at least three times as much as I did I couldn’t figure it out. I just realized the problem a year ago yeah I can’t see the darn things.

  2. As a heads up, they just invented color blind glasses that you might be able to get through you doctor since they are prescription if you need assistance with shopping and your job. I've worked in food services for years so I get how important color is in determining good produce, a cooked meal, etc. Hope that helps! Love your food and videos <3

  3. Damn! You being colorblind is a testament to your skill when you're a chef and have to rely so much on the color of food to tell ripeness, doneness, etc. 👏

  4. Leave it to the Americans to call some shi like just onions in olive oil as "sofrito"(onions, carrots and celery) just to sound fancy

  5. I'll never be able to look at anyone else's chives the same way again… Yours are always so perfect 😮‍💨

  6. Awesome dish! I was wondering if you can savage the foot of the scallop in any way similar to the way you do the shells of your seafood.