PAELLA

Paella

"Paella" is a classic rice dish that is eaten in Spain and is typical of the Levantine and Valencian coast, or the Mediterranean side of Spain.

Like so many other dishes (such as Moroccan Tagine, Beef Stew, or Chicken Pot Pie, which are all cooked in their own cooking containers) the name “Paella” is derived form the cooking pan: a round, two-handled, shallow pan. The reason for the paella pan being so shallow and large in diameter is to ensure that the rice is in a single layer if possible. The paella pan is usually made of a thin layer of iron, as this is essential to transmit the heat uniformly, and to actually see when the rice is ready without touching it.

When cooking paella, the choice of rice is essential. For this reason, the paella originated in Valencia, around a lagoon, where rice has been cultivated since the Eighth Century. Over time, Paella has become one “in-the-same” with Spain. It is Spain’s national dish, and tourists come from far and near to have Spanish paella.

A traditional dish for Sunday lunches throughout the country, it is usually very family-oriented (i.e. the bigger the pan the better the paella).

Additionally, there have always existed Culinary Competitions around Paella, with international chefs from the world around.

Something curious about Paella is that many restaurants all over Spain serve Paella as the “Menu of the Day” every Thursday. Many different theories try to explain the origin of this tradition.

Gastronomically, Paella is considered a 5-fork level dish. Nutritionally, its status is excellent. The Paella is praised in the Mediterranean diet for its grain source of carbohydrates, its variety of greens and vegetables, and its mixture of meats (country paella) and/or fish (fishermen’s paella) that provide a sources of protein. All of the above, along with precious olive oil, provide the necessary components of a Mediterranean diet.

The traditional country paella ingredients can be anything from wild boar, chicken, pork, rabbit or snails; and the fishermen’s paella can contain ingredients such as squid, with its ink, Nettles of the sea, cuttlefish, clams, mussels, and crab claws, all typically Mediterranean shellfish. All of these are based with a broth, be it meat broth fish broth, and always with rice, be it black rice, with squid ink; or yellow rice, with “azafran,” the stamen of a wild flower typically found in Spain and North Africa.

The steps taken to cook the Paella are the following:

First, you fry the rice in the sauce. Then you add the broth and keep an eye on it until the broth does down.

There are many different ways of serving Paella.

A)   Paella a Banda, in which all additions to the rice are served separately.

B)   Blind Paella, where all additions to the rice are chopped up, shelled, di-boned, chopped in bite-size pieces and “Eaten Blindly.”

C)   Brutt Paella, whereby one shells, debones, cuts, cleans and slices meats and shellfish “Brutally.”

All the while, savoring the Rice Dish is “each to its own!”

There are several common steps in the preparation of any kind of Paella:

First is the sauce. One can make the sauce by slowly simmering olive oil, onions, garlic and tomatoes; and adding vegetables such as beans, green and red peppers and dried peppers. This process requires patience and time, since one must cook the vegetables without over cooking them nor drying them out.

Another key element is the stock or broth. It must be of good, pure quality. You should consider cooking more than the amount required, since you can always freeze the unused broth and save it for future use. The Broth should be boiling while you prepare the rice, as it must be poured boiling as to not stop cooking anytime.

Another essential step is the Sautée Rice. Sautée the rice in the Paella pan with the prepared sauce and then add the Broth or Fish Stock. The rice will change from opaque white to a pearl-like transparency.

Let it all cook for about 18 minutes in total: 8 minutes on high heat, 6 to 7 minutes on low heat, and the last 3 or 4 minutes over low heat if the broth has evaporated or over maximum heat if there is still some broth left in the pan.

As a final step, you might add some of the pre-cooked additions on top of the rice and make a design.

Always let it stand for a few minutes before serving.

Following these basic steps as a guide, anyone can make a paella and customize it to different tastes and seasons.