Paella
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
Paella is the rice dish originating from Valencia and Alicante area of Spain. The region of Valencia and north of the Costa Blanca still has many rice fields. Its coastal situation added an ample supply of seafood and shellfish to add to it, plus the olive oil to make the paella complete. Variations now also contain chicken, rabbit and other meats readily available on the farms and now more widely throughout the country. The traditional, well known spanish rice recipe paella, is still made nowadays over an open barbecue with kindling wood which, although does not seem to be so important, adds to the correct cooking of the paella.
A Meaty Paella Recipe
Ingredients for 4 persons
1 medium chicken
1 medium rabbit
2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
165 grs. wide green bean ( spanish-bachoqueta)
130 grs. large white lima beans ( spanish-garrafon)
1 level teaspoon of saffron
3 cups of spanish rice
8 cups of hot water or ( even better chicken broth)
olive oil ( enough to cover the bottom of the paella pan)
salt ( to taste)
1 level teaspoon of sweet red paprika
First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the rabbit and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry unitl lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat. While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.
Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt. After 20 minutes we add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The fire should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook. Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the fire gets to all patrs equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished. Take the paella off the fire and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle.
A seafood paella
Ingredients for 4 people
Squid 150 gr.
Cuttlefish 150 gr.
8 prawns, the bigger the better
4 crayfish, as big or bigger than the prawns
12 mussels
Sweet paprika (Pimentón Dulce)
Saffron
Rice, one cupful per person
3 medium sized grated tomatoes
Garlic 2 or 3 cloves
Fish stock, approximately twice as much as the rice
Olive oil
Cut the fish (squid and the cuttlefish) into cubes about 2cm each. Heat the oil and when it is smoking add the prawns and crayfish, sauté for a minute or two then remove and put to one side.
Next, put the squid and the cuttlefish in the pan and fry until light golden brown. At this moment, add the tomatoes and the garlic, finely- chopped, and fry for a couple of minutes until they darken.
Now add the Pimentón Dulce (sweet paprika); stir everything around before adding the rice. Pour in the fish stock, add another half clove of garlic (finely chopped) and let it all boil vigorously.
After 10 minutes of cooking add the prawns, the crayfish and the mussels. Cook for an extra 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated completely.
A Meaty Paella Recipe
Ingredients for 4 persons
1 medium chicken
1 medium rabbit
2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
165 grs. wide green bean ( spanish-bachoqueta)
130 grs. large white lima beans ( spanish-garrafon)
1 level teaspoon of saffron
3 cups of spanish rice
8 cups of hot water or ( even better chicken broth)
olive oil ( enough to cover the bottom of the paella pan)
salt ( to taste)
1 level teaspoon of sweet red paprika
First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the rabbit and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry unitl lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat. While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.
Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt. After 20 minutes we add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The fire should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook. Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the fire gets to all patrs equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished. Take the paella off the fire and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle.
A seafood paella
Ingredients for 4 people
Squid 150 gr.
Cuttlefish 150 gr.
8 prawns, the bigger the better
4 crayfish, as big or bigger than the prawns
12 mussels
Sweet paprika (Pimentón Dulce)
Saffron
Rice, one cupful per person
3 medium sized grated tomatoes
Garlic 2 or 3 cloves
Fish stock, approximately twice as much as the rice
Olive oil
Cut the fish (squid and the cuttlefish) into cubes about 2cm each. Heat the oil and when it is smoking add the prawns and crayfish, sauté for a minute or two then remove and put to one side.
Next, put the squid and the cuttlefish in the pan and fry until light golden brown. At this moment, add the tomatoes and the garlic, finely- chopped, and fry for a couple of minutes until they darken.
Now add the Pimentón Dulce (sweet paprika); stir everything around before adding the rice. Pour in the fish stock, add another half clove of garlic (finely chopped) and let it all boil vigorously.
After 10 minutes of cooking add the prawns, the crayfish and the mussels. Cook for an extra 5 minutes until the liquid has evaporated completely.
