Deconstructed Paella

I have always been intrigued about deconstructed dishes.

The beauty of cooking is in the mixing, blending, combining, emulsifying and in other ways making the whole better than the sum of the parts. The first time I had blue cheese and grape jelly on toast I almost fell off the table. This completely unexpected combination seemed to sing together in perfect harmony. Think of a pork roast stuffed with chèvre, apricots and lots of thyme, or a chicken with coconut curry over basmati rice. The beauty is in the combination.

So what is it about a deconstructed dish that makes it so interesting? In my mind it is about rediscovering the dish. Some recipes have become so familiar or commonplace that we have forgotten about the ingredients that make them so great. Breaking them apart allows us to pick out the flavors and textures that make them great.

In my mind, the best way to enjoy one of these dishes is to taste the individual parts, but in doing so keep thinking about their contribution to the original dish. If you are having a deconstructed meat lasagna, taste the tomatoes and think of how they make the lasagna sauce sweet, slightly acidic and even fruity. Taste the meat and understand how it makes the dish hearty and deep, etc. Even if deconstructed, it is still a lasagna, so seek that in every bite, otherwise you eat the ingredients separately and miss the intent of the dish.

I think it was a ‘Top Chef’ episode that made me attempt a deconstruction. The contestants were randomly given a traditional dish to deconstruct. One of them was given a Paella (traditional Spanish dish with saffron, rice, pork, shrimp, chicken, and some vegetables). I can’t think of a better dish to break apart. Well, the guy blew it. He basically made a regular paella and from the judges comments not even that good. Having made many paellas in my life, I had to top that.

My deconstruction started with white rice, but because the best part of a paella is the crispy rice you get at the bottom of the pan, I shaped the rice using a mold, brushed a mix of saffron and olive oil on the bottom and crisped eth bottom using a hot griddle. My proteins (pork, shrimp and boneless chicken thighs) where brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt put on a skewered. The tomatoes and artichokes where charred by themselves and all of it was served with a saffron consommé served on a champagne flute.

The planning was entertaining, the cooking fun and the result surprising while pleasing. At the end I do prefer eating paella traditionally prepared bit eating this one helped me better appreciate how these ingredients blend so beautifully. Now I can’t eat a regular paella without thinking of my deconstructed version.