30 WONDERFUL Gullah Geechee Dishes Grandma Never Wrote Down

Jesse Edward Gamit, Jr. 

Reference Purdue University Library and Schools for Information Studies

Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission

"The Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor is a National Heritage Area managed by the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission. The National Heritage Area program is managed by the U.S. National Park Service. National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places where natural, cultural, and historic resources combine to form a cohesive, nationally important landscape. The purpose of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor NHA is to preserve, share, and interpret the history, traditional cultural practices, heritage sites, and natural resources associated with Gullah Geechee people of coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida."

Daufuskie Island’s Robert Kennedy Trail Teaches Gullah History

Teacher’s guide on Daufuskie Island

Cover Art: Gullah History along the Carolina Lowcountry by Thomas Pyatt

Call Number: BCC E185.93.S7 P93 2006

Publication Date: 2006

This book is a documentation and artistic preservation of the history and culture of the Gullah People along the Carolina Lowcountry. This Gullah-Geechee culture came from West Africa and was passed down by Sea Island slaves to subsequent generations. Therefore, this culture has survived despite many changes and displacements. The people of this area are aware of their culture and traditions and are still living in these isolated areas by choice. Though some communities that were isolated and tucked away for decades are now seeing their land in great demand for development, they continue to live as they have for generations. Their history comes alive within the pages of this book, which includes illustrations and pictures by the author.

Cover ArtAfrican American Life in the Georgia Lowcountry by Allison Dorsey (Contribution by); Vincent Carretta (Contribution by); Philip Morgan (Editor); Betty Wood (Contribution by); Emory Campbell (Contribution by); Erskine Clarke (Contribution by); Jacqueline Jones (Contribution by); Michael Gomez (Contribution by); Paul M. Pressly (Contribution by); Theresa Singleton (Contribution by); Timothy Powell (Contribution by)

Call Number: eBook

Publication Date: 2010

The lush landscape and subtropical climate of the Georgia coast only enhance the air of mystery surrounding some of its inhabitants — people who owe, in some ways, as much to Africa as to America. As the ten previously unpublished essays in this volume examine various aspects of Georgia lowcountry life, they often engage a central dilemma: the region's physical and cultural remoteness helps to preserve the venerable ways of its black inhabitants, but it can also marginalize the vital place of lowcountry blacks in the Atlantic World.

Cover ArtPenn Center: A History Preserved by Orville Vernon Burton; Wilbur Cross; James Clyburn (Preface by)

Call Number: eBook

Publication Date: 2014

The Gullah people of St. Helena Island still relate that their people wanted to "catch the learning" after northern abolitionists founded Penn School in 1862, less than six months after the Union army captured the South Carolina sea islands. In this broad history, Orville Vernon Burton and Wilbur Cross range across the past 150 years to reacquaint us with the far-reaching impact of a place where many daring and innovative social justice endeavors had their beginnings.

Sweet Potato Spoon Bread

 Sweet Potato Spoon Bread- I wanted to try something different with my sweet potatoes besides making a pie, so I'm trying this receipe a cross between cornbread and regular sweet potato bread. Of course, I'm substituting some ingredients and tweaking it for what I have in the cabinets and refrigerator. 

Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Victor Protasio / 

Food Styling by Jennifer Wendorf / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Spoon bread, a cross between corn bread and soufflé, is a Southern classic. Robert Stehling likes to add cooked spinach or fresh corn and chopped and sautéed bacon or ham to his plain sweet potato version. Delicious, Quick Side Dishes

By Robert Stehling, Updated on November 21, 2019

Active Time: 30 mins

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins

Yield: 10 to 12

Ingredients

1 pound sweet potatoes

2 ¼ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal

1 ½ tablespoons sugar

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)

3 cups boiling water

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 ½ tablespoons mild honey

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

5 large egg whites (at room temperature)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°. With a fork, pierce the sweet potatoes all over and set them directly on the oven rack. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour, or until they are tender; let cool slightly. Slit the skins and scoop the potatoes into a large bowl. Mash until smooth. You should have 1 1/4 cups of mashed sweet potatoes. Increase the oven temperature to 425°.

Meanwhile, lightly butter a shallow 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish and dust it with cornmeal, tapping out any excess. In another large bowl, whisk the cornmeal with the sugar, salt and baking soda. Melt the butter in the boiling water, then stir the butter-and-water mixture into the dry ingredients. Let cool slightly.

Using an electric mixer, beat the buttermilk, honey, cumin, white pepper, cloves, and cayenne into the mashed sweet potatoes until combined. At medium speed, beat in the cornmeal mixture.

In a clean stainless steel bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold the beaten egg whites into the sweet-potato mixture until no white streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, or until golden and risen, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve the sweet potato spoon bread warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead

The spoon bread can be made early in the day, wrapped in foil, and reheated in a 350° oven.

Grandma’s Banana Walnut Nut Loaf Bread

Food History

Banana bread recipes like this one became popular in American kitchens during the 1930s, around the time baking soda and baking powder became common household staples. As bananas became more widely available, their use in baking soared, particularly in moist, sweet breads like this Banana Walnut Loaf. The addition of walnuts, a nut native to California and heavily promoted by Diamond, adds a satisfying crunch and depth of flavor. This recipe reflects the tradition of using locally-sourced, high-quality ingredients to enhance everyday baking.

Timeline

1920s: Diamond Walnuts becomes a household name, known for its high-quality California walnuts.

1930s: Banana bread recipes gain popularity during the Great Depression as a way to use overripe bananas.

1980s: Banana Walnut Loaf remains a beloved recipe, often shared on packaging by brands like Diamond to promote their products.

Today: This loaf continues to be a favorite, blending the rich flavor of bananas with the satisfying crunch of walnuts.

Recipe Discussion

Banana Walnut Nut Loaf Bread

This Banana Walnut Loaf is a straightforward recipe that yields a moist, flavorful bread perfect for any time of day. The combination of mashed bananas and chopped walnuts creates a deliciously dense texture, with the walnuts adding a crunchy contrast to the soft crumb. The recipe is easy to follow, making it a great option for both novice bakers and experienced cooks looking for a quick and reliable loaf to bake.

Preparation Tips

Banana Ripeness: Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and texture. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and moister your loaf will be.

Mixing: Beat the sugar, shortening, and eggs until light and fluffy. This helps incorporate air, resulting in a lighter loaf.

Baking: Be sure to check the loaf with a toothpick around the 60-minute mark. If it comes out clean, the bread is ready.

Cooling: Allow the loaf to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. This helps prevent the loaf from breaking apart.

Mark your calendars for February 23rd—National Banana Bread Day is ripe and ready! Indulge in this timeless favorite that’s always a-peeling!

 https://www.browneyedbaker.com/banana-nut-bread/

https://vintagerecipeproject.com/banana-walnut-loaf-recipe/

History Mama Wovei, the “Elder Mother” and Oryza glaberrima,

How rice shaped the American South, 8 March 2021, Michael W Twitty

Just before the American Revolution, a woman whose name I may never know disembarked a ship in the harbour of Charleston, South Carolina, destined for a rice field. She was a member of the Mende people of Sierra Leone. Her back bore the letters "R.A.C.E." – Royal African Company of England – seared into her flesh with a brand. The ship on which she was brought started its journey in Liverpool or London and made its way south along the Upper Guinea Coast. It waited at Bunce Island in the Sierra Leone estuary, bobbing in the water, waiting for supplies and a cargo of "choice healthy slaves" that would be sold at auction by scramble on the deck or by the wharf when it landed at its final destination: the swampy, moss-draped Carolina Lowcountry.

The journey of rice to the US is the journey of the people whose labour and knowledge led to its successful cultivation. Between 1750 and 1775, the bulk of more than 50,000 enslaved Africans were kidnapped from the aptly named Rice Coast, the traditional rice-growing region between Guinea and Guinea-Bissau and the western Ivory Coast, where part of my African forebearers are from, and whose heart is in modern-day Sierra Leone and Liberia. Because rice was not indigenous to the Americas and plantation owners did not know how to cultivate it, enslaved Africans were brought to fuel its production, feeding the US' eastern seaboard, Britain, and provisioning many parts of the British Caribbean. 

In the antebellum South, if cotton was the king of commodities, then rice was the queen. And the queen brought incomparable economic power, transforming Charleston and later Savannah into thriving cosmopolitan ports.

 Mama Wovei, the “Elder Mother”

The women who brought this know-how were precious cargo. In their heads rested more than four millennia of experience, from the days of rice being gathered wild to its domestication around 3,000 years ago. And in their wombs lay the potential for centuries of wealth for their slaveholders at the expense of human dignity and the US' "democratic experiment" their descendants would ironically lay the economic foundations of.

US colonists purposefully kidnapped Africans from the "Rice Coast" because of their extensive knowledge of rice cultivation (Credit: Chronicle/Alamy)

Long before their arrival, there was likely Oryza glaberrima, or "African rice" – one of only two main species of cultivated rice in the world, along with Oryza sativa, or "Asian rice". Indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa and brought by enslavers on the Middle Passage, African rice was used to feed the enslaved from Senegambia in the late 1600s, as well as the famous "seed from Madagascar, an Asian variety of rice. 

By the 18th Century, at the encouragement of Europeans, Asian rice varieties had spread across West Africa on coastal plantations, allowing enslavers to provision slave ships with both types of rice to feed their colonies in the New World.

Indigenous rice from Africa was brought by enslavers to feed the New World

The difference between rice at home in West Africa and rice in the American South was more than just freedom versus enslavement. There were new dangers, from pathogens and parasites to alligators and snakes to sunrise-to-sunset labour patterns that added hours beyond the equatorial 12-hour day. Surrounding these pains were the threats of punishment, torture, sale, and separation from loved ones. It was bad enough to be in exile, but to constantly have social and spiritual ruptures impacting this new existence created an aspect of almost-constant terror.

While the labour of producing rice made others extremely wealthy, these men and women's persistence was undergirded by immense private joy. In their world, the shared tasks allowed the most experienced and quick-working enslaved labourers some time to cultivate their own rice patches and gardens, and hunt and fish on time away from their "task" or assigned acreage of rice. They used their mortars and pestles that pounded the rice in the same communicative musical ways as their African foremothers. They wove baskets; carved pestles; knitted nets to catch fish, shrimp, and crabs; and built coops from palmetto stalks to raise the chickens and guinea fowl (also arrivals from West Africa) that pecked in their yards. These animals were served with the rice – West African recipes that morphed to suit the plantation world. All of it was an unsubtle affront to exploitation and assimilation. It was a resistance that was easily ignored but pervasive.

Enslaved Africans quietly maintained their strong rice culture and morphed West African recipes to suit the plantation world (Credit: EyeEm Alamy)

Not long after the nameless woman's arrival, thousands upon thousands of enslaved African South Carolinians made their escape to the British line during the Revolutionary War (1775-1783). She was not likely one of them, probably with one or two children that would prevent her from easily escaping. Many would end up in Nova Scotia, Canada, or would end up back in her homeland of Sierra Leone. As the planters regained control after the revolution, a new variety of rice would emerge, guaranteeing enslavement would go nowhere until the Confederacy's surrender: Carolina Gold. Carolina Gold still has mysterious origins, but genetic research from 2007 suggests it may have come from a Ghanaian variety named Bankoram, one of 20 landraces with which Carolina Gold shares genes.

Genetic research suggests Carolina Gold may have come from a Ghanaian rice variety

From the kitchens of the Lowcountry, Carolina Gold would eventually entice diners with influences drawn from the indigenous peoples of the Southeast US, as well as the traditions of southern England, French Huguenots, Germans of the Palatinate, the Spanish, and Sephardic Jews, the latter two bringing in culinary influences from Moorish Spain and older contributions from the Middle East.

However, the most important cultures of the Carolina rice kitchen were the people doing most of the cooking: the Mende, Temne, Fula, Limba, Loma, Bassari, Sherbro, Kru, Balanta, and other West African peoples, as well as the Afri-Creoles of Barbados, the mother colony of Carolina. Parallel with a similar rice tradition in southern Louisiana and the Lower Mississippi Valley – also established by colonial powers; in that case, the French – it was the culinary experience of centuries in Africa that would shape a cuisine that would come to define the American South.

In the rice kitchens of the American South, Africans introduced the preference that once the rice was steamed, each grain was meant to be cooked separately from the others, each on its own. The only rice that was cooked until sticky was used to make fritters like calas, sold hot and fresh on the streets of New Orleans, or to make pudding or any number of breads or sweets. Rice for savoury purposes was nearly always paired with the Afri-Creole "trinity" of tomatoes, onions, and bell or hot peppers, or was laid out as the bed for traditional West African staples like okra, peanuts, black-eyed peas, greens, or stews made from a combination of these or starring seafood or chicken. My grandmother and my mother, my best culinary teachers, passed down to me recipes like Country Captain (a Southern response to curry-based dishes brought by British traders via India), rice steamed with the trinity, and one-pot meals of smothered chicken and rice.

To this day, when I cook my rice, every grain is separate and distinct. When I made my pilgrimage to Sierra Leone in 202,0 where my ancestors came from, I watched the painstaking process used to process rice. The people were extremely proud of their relationship with the crop. From the pounding and beating in the mortar with the tall, long pestles to the confidence they used to winnow the grain with the beautiful grass baskets that mirror the ones sold in Charleston and Savannah, I felt the deep connections with the Lowcountry. Every single time it ended up in fragrant, plump grains that were separate, soft with a body you could feel on your teeth.

You can eat and enjoy food and still comprehend the chain of human experience that led to your plate.

After 20 years steeped in this work, researching, travelling, and cooking, I have realised you can eat and enjoy food and still comprehend the chain of human experience that led to your plate. The point is not that the traumas incurred outweigh the urge to eat or the hunger for texture or flavour. Alongside survival and the desire for food that satisfies us, the next need we have is to give meaning to our material culture. One ingredient may not mean the same thing to someone else, or it may tell a very different story.

My story is told in many ingredients, not just rice. But when we invoke rice, we are talking not only of West Africa but Madagascar, where other forebearers of mine derived; over to East Asia, where they had roots; but also over to India and the Middle East, where other distant forebearers of mine dwelled; to Italy and Spain, where still others on my family tree would also appreciate the grain. To be a descendant of rice people is to be connected to huge swaths of the globe, from China to Mali to Latin America, as well as the US South.

Madagascar has long been a melting pot where both African and Asian rice is cultivated (Credit: danm/Getty Images)

I may never know that Mende woman’s name, but now I call her Mama Wovei, the “Elder Mother” in Mende, her ancestral language. Elder Mother had a daughter circa 1770-1780, whose name has been lost, and she had a daughter named Nora around 1800. Nora had a daughter born in Charleston in 1828 named Hester, sold to slaveholders in Alabama at the tender age of 12. Hester had a daughter named Josephine just after the US Civil War, and she had a daughter in 1890 named Mary, who would bring Clintonia Hazel into the world. Clintonia bore Patricia in 1948.

One year before Patricia went to join her forebearers, and I inherited the pots and skillets that made those rice dishes that blessed our tables, I had the pleasure of introducing her to the woman who disembarked from that ship so long ago. Over an atlas showing her journey, she met Mama Wovei, her great-great-great-great-great-grandmother. As we traced her path with our fingers on the page, crossing the Atlantic in seconds on what took her months, I asked Mom about the best thing she ever made. She said, “A little boy named Michael, I cooked him low and slow.”

RESEACHER

Michael W Twitty is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and historian. His latest book, Rice, is available now.

BBC Travel celebrates 50 Reasons to Love the World in 2021, through the inspiration of well-known voices as well as unsung heroes in local communities around the globe.

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Oryza Glaberrima African Rice Cultivation

Rice Cultivation in the History of Slavery, reposted 1/16/2026 Judith Carney Published online: 30 June 2020

Summary

There are many wild rice species, but only two are domesticated. The most widely known is Asian rice, Oryza sativa. Domesticated in China approximately 10,000 years ago, it has been a primary staple in Asia for millennia, becoming by the 20th century one of the world’s most consumed cereals. Less known is Oryza glaberrima, or African rice, which was not recognized as a unique species until the mid-20th century. Glaberrima’s history begins not in Asia, but in the inland delta of West Africa’s Niger River, where it was domesticated some 3,500 years ago. Africans adapted glaberrima to a variety of landscapes and developed specialized farming practices that advanced its diffusion elsewhere in the continent, notably to wetland swamps and the tropical coastal region between Senegal and Cameroon. Cultivated there for millennia, African rice became (and still is) a principal dietary staple of West Africa. Women play a major role in rice cultivation. They plant, harvest, mill, and cook this important food crop.

Since the so-called Age of Discovery, Oryza glaberrima has been entwined with the history of transatlantic slavery, which lasted from the mid-15th century to the last quarter of the 19th century. Over 400 years, nearly 13 million Africans were kidnapped and imprisoned on European slave ships bound for the Americas. Once landed, the survivors were sold as chattel labor to work colonial mines and plantations. Many had experience growing rice.

African rice often accompanied slave voyages. As slave ships plied the West African coast, their captains purchased it in bulk to feed their captives during the weeks-long Middle Passage. Eventually, unmilled seed rice found its way from ships’ larders into the hands of New World Africans, who planted it in their provision gardens or maroon hideaways. By the end of the 17th century, plantation owners in Carolina (and later Brazil) were beginning to cultivate rice in response to rising demand from Europe. They very likely grew glaberrima at first—acquired as leftover slave ship provisions—and were almost certainly tutored by slaves already proficient at growing it. The development of rice as a lucrative export crop, cultivated on a massive scale in the tropical and semi-tropical swamps and tidewater estuaries of the Americas, is also a story of African agency and know-how. Nearly all the technologies employed on New World rice plantations bear African antecedents, from the irrigation systems that made fields productive to the milling and winnowing of grain by African female labor wielding traditional African tools.

The recovery of African rice history dispels long-held beliefs that Africans contributed little to the global table and added nothing more than muscle to the agricultural history of the Americas. It upends the myth that they only provided labor, existing as less-than-human “hands” that uncomprehendingly carried out slaveholder directives. Rice history has directed scholars to new geographical spaces, such as the provision gardens of the enslaved, while integrating contributions from archaeology, botany, geography, linguistics, and genomics. Not least, it gives slavery’s victims a voice rarely heard in traditional sources.

KeywordsAfrican riceAtlantic historytransatlantic slave tradeAfrican diasporaslaverysubsistenceColumbian Exchangemaroonsoryza sativaoryza glaberrima

SubjectsSlavery and Slave Trade

BLACK RICE - The African Origins of Rice Cultivation in the Americas

https://youtu.be/zYEhzjiAgBg?si=NfxbiLn5L_B597h-

Few Americans identify slavery with the cultivation of rice, yet rice was a major plantation crop during the first three centuries of settlement in the Americas. Rice accompanied African slaves across the Middle Passage throughout the New World to Brazil, the Caribbean, and the southern United States. By the middle of the eighteenth century, rice plantations in South Carolina and the black slaves who worked them had created one of the most profitable economies in the world.

Black Rice tells the story of the true provenance of rice in the Americas. It establishes, through agricultural and historical evidence, the vital significance of rice in West African society for a millennium before Europeans arrived and the slave trade began. The standard belief that Europeans introduced rice to West Africa and then brought the knowledge of its cultivation to the Americas is a fundamental fallacy, one which succeeds in effacing the origins of the crop and the role of Africans and African-American slaves in transferring the seed, the cultivation skills, and the cultural practices necessary for establishing it in the New World.

In this vivid interpretation of rice and slaves in the Atlantic world, Judith Carney reveals how racism has shaped our historical memory and neglected this critical African contribution to the making of the Americas. 

1950s-60s: Jamaican “Doctor Bird Cake” features bananas and pineapple.

 

https://www.oliveandmango.com/hummingbird-cake/

Food History

Hummingbird Cake originates from the Southern U.S., but its roots trace back to Jamaica. It was initially called the “Doctor Byrd Cake,” named after Jamaica’s national bird, a type of hummingbird.  Some say the name comes from the fact that the cake is sweet enough to attract hummingbirds, while others think the yellow streaks of banana in the cake look like the feathers of a certain variety of hummingbird. 

The recipe was introduced to American kitchens in the late 1970s through Southern Living magazine, where it quickly became a favorite. This cake is similar to banana bread but with the added indulgence of a rich, creamy frosting, making it a staple for birthdays, holidays, and Sunday dinners.

This Hummingbird Cake follows a traditional method, combining simple ingredients to create a rich, moist cake. The dry ingredients, including flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon, provide structure and warm spice. The addition of eggs, oil, and vanilla ensures a tender texture, while crushed pineapple and mashed bananas add natural sweetness and moisture. The chopped pecans give a delightful crunch.

Unlike traditional cakes, this batter is mixed gently—there’s no need to beat it, which helps maintain a dense, soft crumb. Baked in three layers, this cake is stacked and frosted with a smooth, creamy icing made from cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Topped with additional pecans and shredded coconut, the finished cake is both stunning and delicious.

Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and moisture. Do not drain the pineapple—the juice adds extra moisture to the batter.

Stir the batter gently; overmixing can make the cake dense. Grease and line the cake pans with wax or parchment paper to prevent sticking. Let the cake layers cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting. Toast the pecans before adding them for a richer, nuttier flavor.

Add a pinch of nutmeg for extra depth of spice. Store the cake in the refrigerator to keep the frosting firm.

Serve at room temperature for the best flavor.

Hummingbird cake originated in Jamaica; some say the name comes from the fact that the cake is sweet enough to attract hummingbirds, while others think the yellow streaks of banana in the cake look like the feathers of a certain variety of hummingbird. 

Thanksgiving Dinner 2025 Making Family Traditions

 This Thanksgiving was a true blessing, especially in a time of turbulence. Across the United States, citizens were impacted by the government using the poor and underprivileged as pawns on a chessboard. However, the American people found ways to support the poor by donating to food lockers and other points of distribution. I'd like to thank Mather Market Basket for their generous donation of a Thanksgiving turkey and a top box of fresh produce. Now I belong to this community for older adults.

I had a pre-Thanksgiving dinner at my son's home, Herbert E. Raney Jr's, down in Mascoutah, Illinois. He made his famous soul food,  good luck greens, and a glazed ham with sweet corn bread. So delicious. I even froze my greens enough so that I can have them for Sunday Dinner during December. Oh my goodness, even the Pot Liquor (Likker) you can make into a Soup. 

"This is as Southern as it gets.  Take your time, and try not to take shortcuts; do not go for the quicker route by using canned products and prepackaged greens. You have to go through the ritual of picking and washing your greens, boiling the hamhock until it falls off the bone, and you have to seriously make the pot likker, using bacon grease, and other vegetables (onions, garlic, red bell peppers).  Serve with nice, thick slices of cornbread.

Ingredients

(16 ounce) package fresh collard greens, mustard, turnip greens chopped, lbs ham steaks, chopped, tablespoons hot sauce, tablespoons bacon grease, medium onions, chopped, garlic cloves, minced, celery, red pepper, (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth (you can use your own stock if you'd like), cups water, tablespoon white vinegar, teaspoon salt. The trick is to let the greens simmer until tender but not overcooked.  For non-pork eaters, you can put your smoked turkey, olive oil, and season to taste with veggies and broth.

Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Baked Ham

Glazed ham is one of the easiest holiday main dishes to make. You’re starting with a baked or smoked ham, which is already cooked, so the hard work is done. And the ham glaze couldn’t be simpler or any more delicious. For this recipe, you’ll gently warm the ham in the oven, then crank up the heat and brush on the glaze so it turns sticky, shiny, and caramelized. It’s an easy process, and your guests will be so impressed.  Make the glaze: While the ham bakes, combine ¼ cup of apple juice with the brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, pepper, and allspice in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until syrupy, 5 to 8 minutes. As it simmers, stay close and lower the heat if the mixture begins to bubble up to close to the top of the saucepan.

Glaze the ham: When the ham reaches 115°F (46°C), increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Brush the ham generously with glaze and roast, uncovered, for 40 minutes, brushing with more glaze every 10 minutes.

This year, I added pecan slices on top of this sweet potato pie. Some of the potatoes were donated, and I added another bag of sweet potatoes, so I was able to make four pies.  I use the recipe from Iron Pots, and Wooden Spoons by Jessica Harris. A tried and true recipe, more buttery than too sweet. Whether you serve this traditional sweet potato pie as part of your holiday dessert spread or as one of your side dishes at a true Southern feast, it's sure to have you and your guests coming back for more. My Southern sweet potato pie recipe features a silky-smooth and creamy texture thanks to evaporated milk, Borden's condensed sweet milk, and a stick of butter, perfectly balancing out the subtle spice of ground nutmeg and pure vanilla extract.  I bake my sweet potatoes instead of boiling them, adding eggs, brown sugar creamed, and folding them into the potato mixture.  I also bake the pie shells, and then add the filling and back in the oven at 325 degrees.  I also like to roll out and add crust decor to the edges so that the pie shell doesn't burn. 

Pg 169 for the best Sweet Potato Pie Recipe.

My appetizers were pickled deviled eggs made with fresh, farmed eggs from a small farmer in Mascuthah. I used regular mayonnaise and hot mayonnaise for color, sprinkled cayenne pepper on top, and finished with green and black olives.

Vegetable Tray with assorted green and black olives. 

Growing up, my mother always set out a tray for us to snack on while she was making the Thanksgiving dinner, of black olives, green olives, and pickles. We grew up in  West Fresno, California, on Lemon Avenue.  My parents bought the house from an Armenian family, Fresno, where early in the settlement by Armenians.  Our street was lined with olive trees, and in our yard, we also had pomegranate trees. My step-father, John C. Laney, would cure the olives in a lye bath; needless to say, we had an abundance of olives. Olives that are fresh off the tree are quite bitter, so they must be cured to remove the bitterness and make them more palatable. 

My daughter, Jazmin Bruton Davis, recently showcased her culinary talents by preparing a delightful feast for 2025 Thanksgiving. At my request, she made a pan of smothered turkey wings that were melt-in-your-mouth tender, alongside a pan of jerked turkey wings cooked by her friends, Chef Andre and Tasha. To complement the main dishes, she whipped up a creamy mashed potato salad that paired perfectly with her mac and cheese. The feast also featured a pan of savory dressing, bursting with flavors of herbs and spices, as well as sweet, syrupy candied yams, mustard greens, and an apple crumble cheese cake. 

Jazmin has always had a passion for cooking during the holidays, honing her skills in the kitchen since she was just ten years old. Growing up in the warm environment of Mother Bessie’s house, where she spent her first thirteen years, she was fortunate to have a grandmother who encouraged her culinary endeavors. Mother Bessie would let her assist in baking and glazing splendid lemon cakes, instilling in her the joy of cooking. Over the years, Jazmin has mastered various recipes and developed a deep familiarity with the kitchen, igniting her desire to take the reins and host our Thanksgiving meals in the future.

Grandma's Cornbread Dressing

1 cup self-rising cornmeal, I used  Goya Harina de Maiz, finely ground, 1/2 cup self-rising flour, I used all-purpose bleached flour, 3/4 cup evaporated milk, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil

Dressing Ingredients
8 tablespoons butter (1 stick)
3 medium onions, chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 pieces of toast, crumbled
1/2 cup milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 2 1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for cornbread. Pour into a lightly greased 9-inch cast-iron pan or a 9-inch baking pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Before using, crumble it into small pieces.
3. Heat butter over medium heat in a large pan. Add celery and onion, and cook until they are soft.
4. Add sage, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper to the onion mixture.
5. In a large bowl, combine crumbled cornbread and toast.
6. Whisk together milk and eggs and add to the bowl. Could you stir in 2 cups of chicken broth?
7. Stir in the onion mixture. The mixture should be very moist. Please add more broth if needed.
8. Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cut butter into tiny slivers and scatter on top of the dressing.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it turns light brown on top.

Recipe Notes
Note: The cornbread should be made a day or two in advance. And the veggies should be cut up in advance, so all you have to do is combine all ingredients and put them into the oven on Thanksgiving morning.

Recipe Notes for Cured Olives Lye Bath: By Tracy Ariza, DDS, November 13, 2021

Water-cured olives are generally smashed or sliced before soaking in water to reduce the cure time. (It still generally takes around a week to remove the bitterness.) Whole olives would take much, much longer. By curing the olives in lye, the cure time for whole olives is greatly reduced. Lye curing is also more effective at removing bitterness. Lye cures some of them, and water or salt cures the rest of the olives.

Ingredients

To make lye-cured olives, you’ll need a batch of green ripe olives. You’ll also need some lye (also known as caustic soda, sodium hydroxide, or NaOH). While some people successfully cure their olives with lye found in the cleaning section and sold as drain cleaner, I prefer to use food-grade lye. (If you do use lye from the cleaning section, make sure that it only includes lye and no other chemical additives.) Apart from the lye and the olives, you’ll need some filtered (unchlorinated) water. You’ll also need some salt for brining the olives after curing them in lye. This will add flavor and will help preserve the olives.

For added flavor, you can optionally add some herbs, spices, garlic, and/or vinegar. You should also have some olive oil on hand to pour over the surface of the brined olives to keep them from being exposed to air. (This will prevent mold formation.)

What Is Cola de Res or Rabo de Toro (Oxtail) and Different Ways to Cook It for Sunday Dinner

What Is Oxtail and Different Ways to Cook It, by Chrysa Hendrickson Modified: August 1, 2024

https://visitsouthernspain.com/estofado-de-rabo-de-toro/

Ingredients

1.5 kg oxtail

1 cup (240ml) red wine

4 cups (1l) beef broth

2 large onions

4 garlic cloves

2 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 red bell pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dry thyme

1 teaspoon dry rosemary

1. Salt and pepper to taste
2. For the first step in this rabo de toro recipe, peel and dice the carrots, celery stalks, and red bell pepper. Peel and chop the onion into small squares. Peel and mince the garlic cloves.
3. After that, pat the oxtail dry with paper towels, cut it into bite-sized pieces, and season with salt and pepper on both sides.
4. Now grab a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven and heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the oxtail pieces on all sides until they form a golden-brown crust. Remove the Spanish oxtail pieces and set them aside.
5. Using the same pot, add a bit more olive oil if needed. Sauté onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and red bell pepper until softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes.
6. For the next step in this Spanish oxtails recipe, pour in red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Also, add beef broth, bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary, and return the browned oxtail pieces to the pot.
7. Then, bring the Spanish bull tail stew to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours or until the oxtail is tender. Stir occasionally.

After that, do a taste test on the stewed oxtail and adjust the seasoning if needed. Lastly, remove bay leaves. For the final step in this Spanish oxtail stew recipe, pour the estofado de rabo de toro into serving bowls and enjoy it warm.

Notes

To spice things up on this Spanish-style oxtail recipe, you can add paprika, chili flakes, or crushed jalapeño peppers. Besides that, feel free to top this oxtail stew with fresh chopped herbs -such as parsley or cilantro- or with grated parmesan cheese.

Bowl of Jamaican oxtail stew with butter beans

 What is oxtail, you ask? It’s a flavorful cut of beef from the cow’s tail. It’s perfect for dishes along the lines of comforting soups and stews. So, for your next braised dish, there’s no need to scour the web for the best cut of steak to use if you have this in your arsenal! 

Interested? Then continue reading below to discover everything about oxtails and more. Learn more about its source, how to cook it, recipes to try, and other essential information about this meat cut. 

Nowadays, oxtail or cow tail pertains to a specific cut of beef taken from the tail part of both male and female cattle. Back in the past, however, this cut of meat only used to refer to the tail part of oxen or castrated male cows, hence the name. It’s also known as cola de res or rabo de toro in Spanish, meaning beef and ox tail, respectively. 

Officially classified as offal, oxtail was once considered throwaway meat that had very little to no value. Like the famed sweetbreads, this particular ox meat was only eaten as a way to use up all the parts of the animal. In today’s time, however, cow tail is among the most prized cuts of beef cattle out there. 

Apart from the fact that oxtail can now come from any gender of cattle, it comes from both young and mature cows as well. Consequently, you can find either veal or beef oxtails in butcher shops. The beef tail is often cut into sections of different sizes, with bone marrow in the middle surrounded by bone cartilage, connective tissue, and a small amount of meat. 

What Does Oxtail Taste Like?

Southern Oxtail Stew

Most people compare the taste of oxtails to that of a short rib, but intensified. In other words, it has an incredibly rich and hearty beef flavor that you can’t miss. This is the reason why it’s a popular choice for making stocks or bone broths.

Compared to common steaks, a simple pan-frying or searing technique over medium heat simply won’t do if you want to make the most out of a beef oxtail. It has a unique composition of bones, connective tissues, and meat after all. So if you’re wondering how to cook an oxtail, the best methods to try are the ones listed below.

Slow Cooker ( I tossed my slow cooker away years ago, since I'm an empty nester, and not cooking family-size meals anymore).

Cooking oxtail in a slow cooker is a foolproof way of tenderizing this cut of meat. Through this method, the meat and connective tissues are properly broken down to have a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This is the reason why oxtails are mainly braised or used in soups and stews. It’s very rare to see fried or baked renditions. 

So, how long does it take to cook oxtails by slow cooking? The average cooking time is at least three hours. But if you have the time and you want to experience the richest flavor and the best texture, we recommend cooking the cuts overnight.

Instant Pot

If you have a multi-cooker, you’re in luck because you can do either slow cooking or pressure cooking using one appliance. Yes, it’s possible to whip up an Instant Pot oxtail recipe using either of the two methods. It’s up to you to decide which one to use. 

As an ingredient that’s present in different cuisines around the world, oxtail is a great substitute for your go-to steak dinner ideas. Feel free to pick the best oxtail recipe below.

• Beef Stock – Slow-cooked oxtail turns into beef stock or bone broth for making comfort food items like soup. The end product is a flavorful liquid that is thicker compared to regular beef broth. 
• Braised Oxtail Soup – Another broth-based concoction that showcases beef tail as the main ingredient, this braised oxtail soup recipe makes for a hearty meal. The meat pieces are browned in olive oil before simmering. Some renditions may call for apple cider vinegar to balance the flavors.
• Jamaican Oxtail Stew – Another popular way to use this cut is by making this famed Jamaican oxtail recipe. Braised with spicy scotch bonnet peppers and butter beans, this offers a satisfying bite. With seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and allspice, these Jamaican oxtails promise a burst of flavors in your mouth. 
• Red Wine Braised Short Ribs – Add oxtail to a pot of beef short ribs for braising to intensify the meaty flavor of the dish. The pieces are drowned in a thick and flavorful tomato paste sauce.

It isn’t too heavy thanks to the bay leaf infused into the concoction. 

• Southern-Style Oxtail – The Southern oxtail recipe showcases smothered oxtails slowly cooked and tenderized in a savory onion and garlic-flavored gravy. 

• Hawaiian Oxtail Soup – The oxtail fat is trimmed in this Hawaiian soup, producing a broth that isn’t as thick as those previously mentioned. Simmered in water with dried orange peel, star anise, ginger, and salt, this special cut lends a meaty flavor to the dish. Bay leaves, cinnamon, and peppercorns are common add-ons.

Tray of raw beef and veal oxtail, with a small bowl of salt, rosemary, and thyme sprigs 

What is oxtail, you ask? It’s a flavorful cut of beef from the cow’s tail. It’s perfect for dishes along the lines of comforting soups and stews. So, for your next braised dish, there’s no need to scour the web for the best cut of steak to use if you have this in your arsenal! 

Interested? Then continue reading below to discover everything about oxtails and more. Learn more about its source, how to cook it, recipes to try, and other essential information about this meat cut. 

What Is Oxtail Meat?

Nowadays, oxtail or cow tail pertains to a specific cut of beef taken from the tail part of both male and female cattle. Back in the past, however, this cut of meat only used to refer to the tail part of oxen or castrated male cows, hence the name. It’s also known as cola de res or rabo de toro in Spanish, meaning beef and ox tail, respectively. 

Officially classified as offal, oxtail was once considered throwaway meat that had very little to no value. Like the famed sweetbreads, this particular ox meat was only eaten as a way to use up all the parts of the animal. In today’s time, however, cow tail is among the most prized cuts of beef cattle out there. 

Apart from the fact that oxtail can now come from any gender of cattle, it comes from both young and mature cows as well. Consequently, you can find either veal or beef oxtails in butcher shops. The beef tail is often cut into sections of different sizes, with bone marrow in the middle surrounded by bone cartilage, connective tissue, and a small amount of meat. 

What Does Oxtail Taste Like?

Most people compare the taste of oxtails to that of a short rib, but intensified. In other words, it has an incredibly rich and hearty beef flavor that you can’t miss. This is the reason why it’s a popular choice for making stocks or bone broths.

In terms of texture, oxtail is more tender compared to a short rib. The bone marrow, coupled with the connective tissues and cartilage, imparts a thick, jelly-like consistency to the stock.

How to Cook Oxtails

Oxtail stew, how to cook oxtail

Compared to common steaks, a simple pan-frying or searing technique over medium heat simply won’t do if you want to make the most out of a beef oxtail. It has a unique composition of bones, connective tissues, and meat after all. So if you’re wondering how to cook an oxtail, the best methods to try are the ones listed below.

Slow Cooker

Cooking oxtail in a slow cooker is a foolproof way of tenderizing this cut of meat. Through this method, the meat and connective tissues are properly broken down to have a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This is the reason why oxtails are mainly braised or used in soups and stews. It’s very rare to see fried or baked renditions.

So, how long does it take to cook oxtails by slow cooking? The average cooking time is at least three hours. But if you have the time and you want to experience the richest flavor and the best texture, we recommend cooking the cuts overnight.

Pressure Cooker

If you don’t have the time or the patience to slow cook the meat, this method may be more ideal. By using a pressure cooker to tenderize the beef oxtail, you don’t have to wait overnight to get the best results. Instead, the cooking time is cut down to at least an hour. Just make sure to follow the appliance’s instruction manual, and you’ll be good to go!

Instant Pot

If you have a multi-cooker, you’re in luck because you can do either slow cooking or pressure cooking using one appliance. Yes, it’s possible to whip up an Instant Pot oxtail recipe using either of the two methods. It’s up to you to decide which one to use. 

Popular Oxtail Recipes

Bowl of Jamaican oxtail stew with butter beans

As an ingredient that’s present in different cuisines around the world, oxtail is a great substitute for your go-to steak dinner ideas. Feel free to pick the best oxtail recipe below.

Beef Stock – Slow-cooked oxtail turns into beef stock or bone broth for making comfort food items like soup. The end product is a flavorful liquid that is thicker compared to regular beef broth. 

Braised Oxtail Soup – Another broth-based concoction that showcases beef tail as the main ingredient, this braised oxtail soup recipe makes for a hearty meal. The meat pieces are browned in olive oil before simmering. Some renditions may call for apple cider vinegar to balance the flavors.

Jamaican Oxtail Stew – Another popular way to use this cut is by making this famed Jamaican oxtail recipe. Braised with spicy scotch bonnet peppers and butter beans, this offers a satisfying bite. With seasonings like Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and allspice, these Jamaican oxtails promise a burst of flavors in your mouth. 

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs – Add oxtail to a pot of beef short ribs for braising to intensify the meaty flavor of the dish. The pieces are drowned in a thick and flavorful tomato paste sauce. It isn’t too heavy thanks to the bay leaf infused into the concoction. 

Southern-Style Oxtail – The Southern oxtail recipe showcases smothered oxtails slowly cooked and tenderized in a savory onion and garlic-flavored gravy. 

Hawaiian Oxtail Soup – The oxtail fat is trimmed in this Hawaiian soup, producing a broth that isn’t as thick as those previously mentioned. Simmered in water with dried orange peel, star anise, ginger, and salt, this special cut lends a meaty flavor to the dish. Bay leaves, cinnamon, and peppercorns are common add-ons.

Is Oxtail Healthy?

Considering its unique composition, what is oxtail good for? Despite containing a small amount of meat, this cut is still a good source of protein and essential minerals. It also contains collagen. This is a substance that helps keep skin bouncy and joints healthy. However, oxtail is fatty, so it may not be the best option for a low-cholesterol diet. 

Oxtail is generally available in local butcher shops. Once considered scrap meat that barely cost anything, its price has skyrocketed over the years due to limited supply and increasing demand. Hence, you can expect to shell out $5 to $10 or more per pound for this specific cut. 

If oxtail isn’t available, possible substitutes are bony cuts like veal or beef neck, short rib, and shank. After all, what is oxtail if not a bony beef cut surrounded by a small amount of meat and connective tissues?

How to Store Oxtail

As with other kinds of raw meat, it’s always best to cook oxtail right away. But if that is not possible, here are two options to consider: 

The first and probably the best method is to keep the meat in the freezer. Before you set aside oxtails, make sure to wrap them in plastic or aluminum foil to keep them intact for up to a year. And once you decide to use the frozen cuts, give them enough time to thaw out before cooking.

Home Cooking Tips & Guides Ingredient Guides 

Flavors of Africa Discover Authentic Family Recipes from All Over the Continent

 I found a new cookbook and can't wait to prepare some of these wonderful traditional African recipes. 

Paella is a Spanish Rice Dish Originated in Valencia Spain

 What is Paella?https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/paella/

Paella is a traditional Spanish rice dish that is cooked in a wide, shallow pan and typically features a combination of meats, seafood, and vegetables. Although paella originated in Valencia, it has become popular throughout Spain and around the world, leading to various regional and personal adaptations. Different versions may include a variety of meats and seafood, vegetables, and distinct seasonings, while still sharing many common elements.

A key feature of paella is the socarrat, the crispy layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan during cooking. Many people cherish this part of the dish and often compete for the crispy bits.

My version is known as Paella Mixta, which combines both meats and seafood. You can easily modify this recipe by omitting the meats and focusing solely on seafood, or customizing it in any way you prefer.

One prized element of paella is called the socarrat, which is the crispy layer of rice that develops on the bottom of the pan during cooking. Many people enjoy it and even fight over the crispy bits.

Paella Ingredients

Saffron. Soaked in water to let the flavor bloom. Saffron is the most important spice in paella, really defining the dish.

Chicken Broth. Or use chicken stock or vegetable broth.

Olive Oil.

Vegetables. Onion, bell peppers (or use hotter peppers to your preference, though Spanish paella is not meant to be a hot and spicy dish), garlic, and tomatoes.

Chicken. I use chicken thigh, though chicken breast is good, too.

Spanish Chorizo. This is controversial to some Spanish cooks, but I prefer it.

Seasonings. Spanish paprika (I prefer smoked paprika, though hot or sweet are great, too), red chili flakes (optional, for spicy), salt, bay leaf, and parsley. See my post on What is Paprika to learn more about your paprika options.

Spanish Rice. See recipe notes.

Seafood. Shrimp and mussels. You can use other seafood as well. See the recipe notes.

Garnish. Extra red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley, and lemon.

Paella in a pan, ready to serve 

How to Make Paella - the Recipe Method

Bloom the Saffron. Add the pinch of saffron to a small bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of water to let the saffron bloom.

Heat the Chicken Broth. Add the chicken broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until needed.

Cook Meats and Vegetables. While the broth is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet or pan (I use a large paella pan) over medium heat.

Add the onion, peppers, chicken, and Spanish chorizo sausage. Cook for 8 minutes to soften the vegetables and cook the chicken mostly through.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Cooking vegetables, chicken, and chorizo to make paella 

Tomatoes and Seasonings. Stir in the tomatoes, saffron (with water), paprika, chili flakes (if using), and salt. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the Rice. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to lightly brown the rice.

Adding Spanish rice to the paella pan 

Add Hot Broth. Pour in the hot chicken broth and shake the pan to distribute. Do not stir the rice, as we want it to cook evenly and develop a crispy bottom.

Sprinkle in the parsley and add the bay leaves.

Simmer the Paella. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender to your preference. You may need a bit longer, depending on the heat.

Simmering paella in a large pan 

If the rice is not yet tender, add a bit more chicken broth as needed and cook a bit longer.

Cook the Seafood. Tuck the shrimp and mussels into the top of the rice and cover - use a large lid or aluminum foil.

Cook for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp and mussels cook through, and a crispy crust forms on the bottom of the pan. This is the socarrat, which many people love.

For Serving. Remove from heat, garnish with red pepper flakes, fresh parsley, lemon juice, and serve.

Paella in a pan with lots of seafood 

Boom! Done! Your paella is ready to serve. Easy enough to make, isn't it? Serve it as a flavorful side dish, or make an extra batch and serve it as your main.

Recipe Tips & Notes

Best Rice for Paella

Short-grain rice is essential for good paella, as it absorbs liquid more easily and cooks evenly. Look for Bomba Rice, which is a short-grain Spanish rice, often referred to as Valencia rice.

If you are unable to find it in the grocery store, look for a good-quality short-grain rice. You can use medium-grain rice if you must, but definitely do not use long-grain rice.

Arborio rice is often mentioned as a substitute, but arborio rice is a creamier rice ideal for risotto, so I personally would not use it.

Best Seafood for Paella

Shrimp and mussels are ideal for a good seafood paella, though you have many options. Consider scallops, crab, flaky fish, squid or calamari, clams, or others. I've made it with crawfish and loved it.

Paella is one of those dishes that is so easy to change up to your preference, as many cooks around the world do. Feel free to add in other vegetables, such as green peas, sweet corn, spicy chilies, fresh herbs, and more.

I add chicken and Spanish chorizo, but other meats are welcome here, such as pork, duck, rabbit, or ground meats, and even tofu. You can also skip the meats and serve a seafood paella very easily.

You can also deglaze the pan with white wine before adding the rice to develop the flavors differently.

Why Boil the Chicken Broth?

Heating your chicken broth before adding it to the rice will save you cooking time, as the broth will already be to temperature when added. It also ensures a more even cook and consistency of the rice, which is important in making a good paella.

Good rice is key. If you add cold chicken broth, you'll need extra time to heat it through, and you may encounter inconsistencies throughout the pan. I prefer to heat the broth through before adding.

The Socarrat - Crispy Rice

When you leave the paella pan cooking on your stove top, especially over an open flame, the rice at the bottom of the pan will crisp up and darken. This is called the "socarrat", and it is prized by traditional paella lovers.

Socarrat means "to singe". It is very much like "pegao" at the bottom of a pan of Puerto Rican Arroz con Pollo.

Some might consider this scorched rice at the bottom of the pan a mistake, but others love it and consider paella properly made only when the socarrat is achieved.

You can skip it if desired, or turn up the heat during the last few minutes of cooking to crisp up the bottom layer of rice. Just be careful not to burn it.

Paella Pan - You can use a large pan to make paella, but a paella pan makes it so much better.

Paella in a pan with mussels, shrimp, sausage, and chicken 

My favorite paella recipe is loaded with lots of Spanish rice, chicken, chorizo, shrimp and more, huge on flavor, easy to make, and perfect for a crowd.

 Course: Main Course Cuisine: Spanish Keyword: rice, saffron, seafood, Spanish rice  Prep Time: 15minutes minutes Cook Time: 40minutes minutes  

Ingredients

1 pinch saffron

6 cups chicken broth + more as needed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large bell pepper chopped (use jalapeno or other for spicier)

1/2 pound chicken chopped (use thigh or breast)

1/2 pound Spanish chorizo sliced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon Spanish paprika, I use smoked

1 teaspoon red chili flakes, optional, for spicy

Salt to taste

2 cups Spanish Rice Bomba Rice

3 tablespoon parsley chopped + more for garnish

2 bay leaves

1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 pound mussels cleaned and debearded

For Serving. Fresh chopped parsley, red chili flakes, and lemon

Instructions

Add the pinch of saffron to a small bowl and cover with 1/4 cup of water to let the saffron bloom.

Add the chicken broth to a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until needed.

While the broth is heating, heat the oil in a large pan (I use a large paella pan) to medium heat.

Add the onion, peppers, chicken, and Spanish chorizo sausage. Cook for 8 minutes to soften the vegetables and cook the chicken mostly through.

Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the tomatoes, saffron (with water), paprika, chili flakes (if using), and salt. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add the rice and cook for 1 minute to lightly brown the rice.

Pour in the hot chicken broth and shake the pan to distribute. Do not stir the rice, as we want it to cook evenly and develop a crispy bottom.

Sprinkle in the parsley and add the bay leaves.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is tender to your preference. If the rice is not yet tender, add a bit more chicken broth as needed and cook a bit longer.

Tuck the shrimp and mussels into the top of the rice and cover - use a large lid or aluminum foil.

Cook for 5 minutes, or until the shrimp and mussels cook through, and a crispy crust forms on the bottom of the pan. This is the socarrat, which many people love.

Remove from heat, garnish, and serve.