04
Everybody who has visited Spain and more in particular Valencia must have heard of the famous Paella a la Valenciana. But I think most people dont know where the paella comes from and what it means.
First of all, paella is not exactly the dish but the recipient this typical plate is cooked in. We all have seen the paella pan before when visiting Spain or browsing the net for paella recipes
The typical paella a la valenciana was invented in a small village called El Perell close to the city of Valencia. The unique situation of the village between a natural lake with sweet water and the sea provided to the habitants of the area all they needed to make a complete dish with many of the most important vitamins and minerals in a balanced combination.
With farmlands at hand where they grew rice and beans, the sea for shellfish and the lake for ducks together with their chickens gave the people of the area all they needed to make 2 different versions of the paella a la valenciana.
The first one is the paella made of meat. This paella is a combination of chicken and duck together with rice, lemon, olive oil, beans and saffron. But nowadays the duck is most of the times substituted by rabbit which is a lot easier to get and cheaper.
This type of paella is still very popular amongst the people of Valencia and it is very common to hear people say: Sunday I am going to eat paella with my parents.
In the old days the paella was served in the paella pan and all who joined in at the table ate from the same pan with wooden spoons. Today most people prefer to have their portion on a plate.
Another typical paella was the one made of seafood, Paella de marisco. This paella is made of rice and seafood. The used ingredients are: sepia, calamares, lobster, mejilln o clotxina, garlic, lemon, rice, saffron, olive oil and beans ( octopus, squid and mussel) Clotxina is a smaller variation of the regular mussel.
The Recipe of the paella Valenciana
The quantities are /person
Chicken (150 grs.)
Rabit (150 grs.)
Red paprika powder.
Saffron
3 table spoons of natural tomato
Green beans (70 grs.).
Garrofn (a type of bean typical to Valencia (25 grs.)
Haricot bean (25 grs.).
water
Olive oil (5 table spoons).
Rice (125 grs.)
Salt
If you like it: half artichoke
Preparing the ingredients and the paella pan
The traditional way to prepare a paella is on a campfire but this is difficult to achieve at home so there is a very good alternative for this which is the double gas ring on a tripod with a bottle of gas.
The most important points according my mother in law when preparing the paella are: the fire below the paella pan must be the same on every part of the pan, you must be able to adjust the fire in 2 rings an outer and an inner ring and the paella must be completely in balance so that when you add water the level should be the same everywhere on the paella pan.
Preparing the paella Valenciana
Step one: 12 hours before starting to prepare the paella put the garrofn (a type of bean typical to Valencia) in water.
Step 2: Put the olive oil in the pan and when the oil is hot put in the chicken and rabbit and fry them until they have this golden look. We should try to distribute the pieces of meat evenly in the paella pan.
Step 3: Now we put in the different beans and the garrofn and fry them. If we want to add alcachofa (artichoke) we can add it now also. Make sure the fire is not very intense but neither to low.
Step 4: Add to the paella the red paprika powder and the natural tomato and mix them with the other ingredients.
Step 5: After a few minutes we add water to the paella. This is another crucial step in preparing a tasteful paella. If we add to much water, the paella will be to weak and if we add to little the rice will not be boiled sufficiently. But there is a small insiders trick to know what the right level is. On the outside of the paella pan there are 2 grips attached. They are attached to the pan with rivets who are clearly visible on the inside of the pan. This is the level of the water that must be added. Dont add more or less water it will ruin your paella.
Step 6: Put the fire intensity on high but not to high. We leave the paella now boiling for 3 5 minutes and then we lower the intensity of the fire to medium. Try the paella and if needed add salt to it. Leave the paella this way for about 13 17 minutes depending on the type of rice you used.
Step 7: A step that is forgotten by most people, turn out the fire and cover the paella with kitchen paper and leave the paella alone for another 5 – 10 minutes.
In the meanwhile cut a lemon in 4 and when the 5 or 10 minutes have passed you can put the lemon on the outside of the paella.
Serve separately with onion (my father in law and myself like to eat the paella with raw onion in one hand and the spoon in the other)
Preferred drink to go with the paella : a red wine from Valencia especially from the area of Utiel / Requena. (other Spanish wines will do also of course).
Enjoy this typical plate of Valencia
About the Author
Peter Vermeeren lives and works in Valencia. His personal website is all about Valencia. Married to a Valencian lady gives him a priviliged insight in all aspects of life in Valencia. His site provides visitors and people who want to start living in Valencia with expert information. visit his site here: http://www.about-valencia.com
Written By: Peter Vermeeren
10
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 ingredients.
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 (“azafrn”) 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 ingredient 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 ingredients 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
Ingredients:
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:
Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.
Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.
Cook for a few minutes.
Add rice and stock.
Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.
Decorate with prawns and mussels.
Cover paella with a lid.
Poach the seafood for a few minutes.
Decorate paella with lemon quarters.
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”.
Written By: Linda Plummer
22
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. The Dictionary also explains that in the Old French and Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on each side.
In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make. Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
This article is not a recipe but rather an outline that describes the three basic steps to follow to make a wonderful paella while leaving the reader (the chef!) the latitude to be creative and to make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.
First the rice.
Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free to experiment but know that paella contains a lot of ingredients and if you are unhappy with the end result with a particular type of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste. Basmati, brown or a mix with wild rice can add great taste and texture. Follow the instructions on the package with regards to washing and cooking the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and tomato. Heat a saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is hot (make sure that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive oil is carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot, throw in the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a nutty taste. Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or so. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften, mixing constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a bit cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of your own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that three to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none of the ingredients should stick but they should mix well together and soften. Once all the ingredients are combined, remove the saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas. Add enough peas to make a well balanced mixture.
Second the meat.
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.
Third combining it all.
Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
In short, the secret to preparing the perfect paella is to make it your own!
About the author:
You too, can manoeuvre in the unfamiliar waters of gourmet cuisine, with just a few well-learned techniques that are easy to master, and build a repertoire of literally hundreds of dishes and deserts. Let Geoffrey set you on the path today, to gastronomical delights! http://www.free-recipe-books.com
Written By: Geoffrey Cook
09
Preparing paella is an interesting endeavour for any cook. This dish does not really have a set list of ingredients but is mostly a combination of different meats and vegetables. In fact, the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, refers to paella as a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood.
The meal is prepared in a pot – all the ingredients meld together in the pot while cooking to create the dishes great taste. This pot cooking is so closely associated with this dish that it’s name, paella means frying pan or pot in Old French and Catalan languages.
Paella is a great dish to make if you want to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
The secret to a good paella is being creative, therefore there are many recipes one can follow. But since a recipe is not necessary, nor desirable, the basic steps to creating this dish are outlined below. It’s up to you to provide the creativity in ingredients to make the dish your own!
Making The Rice
You can use whatever kind of rice you like. A wild rice can add interesting flavor and texture to the dish, but if you prefer brown or white feel free to go with. Frying the rice as outlined below will give it a nutty flavor.
Wash the rice and set aside Chop tomato, onion ad garlic Heat olive oil in a skillet, and once the oil is hot (but not smoking) toss in the rice Add the onion, garlic and tomato after a minute or two
Stir until the onion, tomato and garlic are soft. Don’t let the rice mixture overcook – 3 to 5 minutes is plenty of time. At the end of the cooking, you can spice it with whatever spices you like. Some common spices for paella are saffron, salt and pepper but you could add cayenne, cinnamon or any other herbs that you and your guests prefer.
Remove the mixture from the burner and toss in some frozen peas. Not too many as you don’t want to overpower the rice but just enough to add a little accent.
Preparing The Meat
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.
Combining The Two
The combining of the rice and meat mixtures is what makes the paella such an interesting and flavorful dish. Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
And there you have it, an interesting dish with something in it that is sure to please everyone!
About the author:
Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find more recipes and dinner menus.
Written By: Lee Dobbins
06
Christmas recipe serves: 12
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Calories per serving: 605
Not suitable for freezing
Christmas recipe ingredients
* Onions or shallot: 225 g (8 oz)
* Celery, 125 g (4 oz)
* Garlic cloves, 3
* Fish stock, 1.1 litres (2 pints)
* White wine, 300 ml (10 fl oz)
* Saffron, 1.25 ml (quarter tsp)
* Bay leaf, 1
* Fish fillets, skinless, cod, salmon, haddock 450 g (1 lb)
* Rice, wild 125 g (4 oz)
* Olive oil, 50 ml (2 fl oz)v * Rice, long-grain, 350 g (12 oz)v * Salt and pepper
* Butter, 25 g (1 oz)
* Mushrooms, wild in oil, drained 280 g jar
* Mushrooms, brown-cap 125 g (4 oz)
* Watercress, 2 bunches
* Prawns, King, peeled, cooked 500 g ( 1 lb)
Christmas Recipe Instructions:
1. Crush peeled garlic, chop the celery and the onions. Combine the fish, bay leaf, wine, saffron and stock. Heat till biling and stand for 10 minutes. Sieve off the fish and keep the liquid. Fork the fish into large pieces.
2. Prepare cooked wild rice in salted boiling water. About 40 minutes. Remove from the liquid and keep.
3. At the same time, cook the garlic, celery and onions in the oil until soft. Add long-grain rice, heating for a couple of minutes before introducing the stock and bringing to the boil. Add seasoning and cook with a lid on at 200 degrees centigrade (400 F) for about 30 minutes.
4. Cook all the mushrooms in butter for about 2 minutes. Take out the mushrooms, add the watercross and stir for about two minutes, till floppy.
5. Mix the prawns, fish, watercress, mushrooms and wild rice into the long-grain rice. Season to taste and warm in oven for another minute.
6. Serve
About the Author
(c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at Gifts-for-Christmas.com, bringing you christmas recipes and unique gifts for christmas including their online home collectibles and russian gifts stores.
This article may be re-published in its entirety as long as the author bylines in the resource box are included and urls kept live
Written By: Paul Curran
18
Paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. Spain and the Catalan languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on each side.
In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make. Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Spanish Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, Spanish Paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.
Here are three basic steps to follow to make wonderful Spanish Paellas while leaving you the latitude to be creative and to make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.
1. Preparing the rice. Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free to experiment but know that Spanish Paella contains a lot of ingredients and if you are unhappy with the end result with a particular type of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste. Basmati, brown or a mix with wild rice can add great taste and texture. Follow the instructions on the package with regards to washing and cooking the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and tomato. Heat a saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is hot (make sure that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive oil is carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot, throw in the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a nutty taste. Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or so. Add the chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften, mixing constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper. Feel free to experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a bit cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of your own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that three to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none of the ingredients should stick but they should mix well together and soften. Once all the ingredients are combined, remove the saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas. Add enough peas to make a well balanced mixture.
2. Choosing and making the meat.
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your Spanish Paella.
3. Combination of it all
Cover the bottom of the Spanish Paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked shell fish and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the Spanish Paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit or until the rice is fully cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or mussles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
In short, the secret to preparing the perfect Spanish Paella is to make it your own!
About the author:
Learn how to make Spanish Tapas and Paellas the easy way by visiting my website http://www.spaintapas.com. Each month there is a new free spanish tapa and more to review received by newsletter!
Written By: Noel Gomez