Lechon Arroz Paella Valenciana

Lechon Arroz Paella Valenciana. It has been the tradition of Overseas Pinoy Cooking to post the paella dish which is traditionally served at our Noche Buena every year whether it is arroz valenciana or bringhe. This is now the fourth year of the Christmas paella post which started in 2007’s Pinoy Seafood Rice Cooker Paella Valencianna, then on 2008’s Seafood Pinoy Arroz Paella and last year’s Seafood Bringhe Valenciana. For this year’s Noche Buena it is Lechon Arroz Paella Valenciana, it’s an all meat version topped with home baked lechon.

The dish is similar to the basic recipe of bringhe, to make the dish I used one part glutinous rice and one part regular rice sautéed in garlic, onion, pork, chicken and Spanish chorizo slices using the oil used in stir frying some diced bacon which I added on the last part of cooking the rice. Broth from pre-boiling the pork rind and thick canned coconut cream is added to the rice and simmered until the rice started to absorb the broth and coconut milk.

The rice is then transferred to a baking dish (I used thermo glass baking dish, I wish I had some banana leaves to line the baking dish). The baking dish is then covered with aluminium foil in such that the juice from the pork rind placed over the foil will drip on to the rice. It is then baked at 300ᵒF to 325ᵒF for about 1 1/2 hours, basting the pork rind with some butter in between. During the last 10 minutes the oven temperature is then increased to roast crisp the pork skin. It is then served topped with the chopped oven baked lechon.

Now we have arrive to the part where I take the opportunity to greet everyone specially to my regular readers who keep coming back all these years to check for new recipes, to the avid friends and followers of OPC’s Facebook Page and to those who have stumble to this site looking for a dish to cook for this year’s Christmas and New Year Celebrations.

I WISH YOU ALL A MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Here’s how I made my Lechon Arroz Paella Valenciana.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups malagkit, glutinous rice
1 1/2 cups jasmine or regular rice
1/4 kilo chicken, cut into cubes
1/4 kilo pork, cut into cubes
1/2 kilo pork rind, cut into large squares
1 piece Spanish chorizo, sliced
1 cup bacon, cut into small squares
1/2 cup green peas
1 medium size red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 medium size green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 400ml canned coconut cream
1/2 head garlic, chopped
1/2 head garlic, crushed
1 medium size onion, chopped
2 to 3 pieces bay leaf
1 tsp. peppercorns
1 tbsp. turmeric powder
1 tbsp. paprika powder
1/2 cup fish sauce
soy sauce
salt
cooking oil

Cooking procedure:

In a pan pour 4 cups of water, put in the pork rind, crushed garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and about 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until pork are tender. Remove pork from pan and drain dry, reserve the broth.

Wash glutinous and regular rice, soak for at least an hour, and keep aside. In a big wok heat oil and stir cook bacon until crisp, remove from wok and keep aside. Using the same oil stir cook chorizo, add in garlic and onion, sauté for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add in pork and chicken and continue to sauté for 3 to 5 minutes. Add in fish sauce, turmeric powder and paprika powder, stir cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the drained glutinous and regular rice, stir cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil is infused to the rice. Add in 2 to 3 cups of broth from boiling the pork rind and the coconut cream continue to stir cook 2 to 3 minutes, add more water if required. Add in the bacon, bell pepper and green peas cook for another 1 to 2 minutes. Correct saltines if required.

Now transfer the half-cocked rice in a baking dish. Lightly press to compact and flatten the rice cover the rice with aluminium foil making sure that the juice from the roasting pork skin will drip to the rice. Now place the pork rind pierced with bamboo skewer to act as backbone to keep the pork rind flat during roasting. Brush pork skin with soy sauce. Now place in the middle of the oven preheated to 325ᵒF to 350ᵒF and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, occasionally checking the cooking rice and adjust temperature as required. Baste the pork rind with some butter in between. During the last 10 minutes increased the oven temperature to roast crisp the pork skin. When done remove from oven and let rest for about 10 minutes. In the meantime chopped roasted pork rind. Serve topped with the chopped lechon.

See other related paella recipe:

Seafood Bringhe Valenciana
Bringhe
Arroz Negra, Black Paella
Pinoy Arroz Paella
Seafood Rice Cooker Paella Valencianna

See other Celebration's Recipe:

2008 Celebration's Recipes
2009 Celebration's Recipes
2010 Celebration's Recipes