Recipes Information

Spanish Food - The Perfect Paella


Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the best-known is going to be the prodigious paella ... that tasty, adaptable, gregarious dish famed throughout Spain and the World.

And, what an impressive choice of recipes exist for a pleasurable paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit ... or a mixture of all three! Perhaps you are non-meat eating ... well, just opt for one of the several vegetarian paella recipes. Bit of a health fanatic? Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice.

Got a large family and not much money to feed them on? Use plenty of rice and imagination along with a tasty stock, plus whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have certainly enjoyed many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/ seafood! And, very tasty they have been too, the richness of the company more than compensating for any paucity in the ingrediants.

So ... how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from Valencia - where most Spanish rice originates - is fine for making paellas. However, the "bomba" rice grown in the neighboring region of Murcia, is the "king" of paella rice: again, short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst remaining firm.

Another "must" is to use saffron ("azafrán") to create the gentle, yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but ... go for the traditional - it will bestow a wonderful aroma and unique flavor.

Many Spaniards swear a perfect paella can only be achieved when using a tasty, home-made stock. Whatever you decide, allow at least double the amount of liquid to rice. If, during cooking, the dish becomes a little dry, just add a dash more water or stock.

Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock, ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards would agree that, once cooked, it is best to leave your paella to stand for a good five minutes before serving.

Perhaps the most important ingrediant for making that perfect paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing it - for surely, that is something we can all afford - and to enjoy to the full the marvellous company of those who will share it with you.

I shall now have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an example! I think I will opt for a seafood paella, typical of the region of Valencia, where I live. The ingrediants are for a hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet, then reduce the amount of rice/stock slightly.

Paella Valenciana - Paella From Valencia

Ingrediants:

- 4 cups rice.
- 8 cups fish stock.
- 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines.
- 8 mussels.
- 200 gr shrimps.
- 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen).
- 2 tomatoes, skinned and chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
- 3 strands saffron, crumbled.
- Olive oil for frying.

Method:

1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.

2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.

3. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add rice and stock.

5. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.

7. Cover paella with a lid.

8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.

9. Decorate paella with lemon quarters.

10. Enjoy!

Linda Plummer is English, and has lived on the Costa Blanca in Spain for 20 years. She is webmistress of the information- rich site: http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".


MORE RESOURCES:

KIDK

Secret English Muffin Recipe for 'Nooks and Crannies' Safe For Now
One News Page
The Magnolia Bakery Cookbook Old Fashioned Recipes From New Yorks Sweetest Bakery On the corner of... How to pack…what book to take…giving that couple ...
US court: Former English muffin exec armed with recipes can't work for rival ...CanadianBusiness.com
US court: Former English muffin exec armed with recipes can't work for rival ...San Francisco Examiner

all 127 news articles »


Casa Silva sauv blanc review, plus tasty pasta recipe
Palm Beach Post
This recipe is from a book I use frequently, by The Discovery Channel star Christopher Lowell, The Hassle-Free Host: Super-Simple Tablescapes and Recipes ...

and more »


Three Recipes for National Lasagna Day
HULIQ
Today is National Lasagna Day and to celebrate this year, why not try a healthy variation of the classic Italian recipe with a delicious meal from Focus28 ...

and more »


Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Recipes for celebrating National Cheesecake Day
Sault Ste. Marie Evening News
This Friday, celebrate National Cheesecake Day with two luscious recipes. These delights come from Driscoll Berries, and feature a cake with fresh ...

and more »


Jennifer Mastroianni: Recipes, cool and collected, from refrigerator makers
Freeport Journal-Standard
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers just published “Cook with Cold: Old Tyme Refrigerator Recipes,†a collection ...

and more »


Do you have a gluten sensitivity? Share your stories and recipes
Bangor Daily News
BDN reporter Emily Burnham is looking for stories and recipes from readers who have or know someone who has celiac disease, ...

and more »


Recipes from the 2010 Fifer's Peach Dessert Competition
Middletown Transcript
By Anonymous Jody Vasey of Lincoln took first place in the Delaware State Fair Culinary Department's Fifer's Peach Dessert Competition, sponsored by Fifer ...

and more »


msnbc.com

'Top Chef': Visualize whirled peas
Los Angeles Times (blog)
Several of his recipes felt more like an attempt to clean out the pantry (white chocolate, tapioca and chevre pie, with an almond crust and raspberry puree, ...
Top Chef DC Podcast, Ep. 7: The proof is in the pea puree (and the Top Chef ...Creative Loafing Tampa (blog)

all 48 news articles »


Raspberry adds twist to old recipe
Hattiesburg American
I asked her to write her recipe. So, to new friend, Jenny Busby, here is her recipe. I can't wait to try it! In a large pot, place figs and Jell-O. Bring to ...

and more »


Free Range on Food: Summer beers, drinks and recipes
Washington Post
Two of the grain salad recipes I have tried recently call for soaking the chopped or sliced onions in cold water, then draining. What does this step do? ...


Google News

home | site map
© 2006