Spain's National Dish - Paella
“Paella” refers originally not to the food, but to the utensil – a wide, flat, shallow iron pan with handles on the sides. Originally from Valencia, Paella is one of the most famous dishes from Spain.
Paella is usually served when family and friends get together, either at home or while picnicking. The best Paella is created with the love and care that you feel for your guests. Some Spanish Paella Chefs believe that you should cook the rice dish from start to finish in the same pan, however many people cheat, even if it is just a little.
Paella is cooked traditionally over an open fire using wood that burns evenly throughout (as it is important to have an even heat throughout the process). Now days many Paellas are cooked over a gas burner.
Traditional Valencian Paella has chicken, rabbit, tomatoes, bachoqueta (Spanish wide green beans), garrafon (large white lima beans), saffron, olive oil, short grain rice and chicken broth. But Paella is a good wholesome dish, which is extremely flexible and allows the chef to add whatever they have at hand. As with the legendary Pizza, there are many people who still insist on the traditional tomato and mozzarella cheese topping. However, like Pizza you can make a great Paella with other ingredients of your own choice..
Cooking Paella
Cooking with the correct utensils is most important to create the perfect Paella. You must have a Paella pan, not use a regular frying pan. The size is very important. You have to choose the size depending on how many people are going to be eating from it.
The rice in Valencian paella is never stir-fried in oil, as pilau, though the paella made southwest of Valencia often is. Once the rice is nearly done, the paella is removed from the heat and left to absorb the remaining water.
Disasters with paella recipes are mainly due to rice still lying in the water/stock which makes the dish too soggy. Traditional paella has a crispy, caramelised, toasted bottom (called socarrat in Valencian) that is considered a delicacy.
To achieve a socarrat, the Paella needs time to evaporate the water properly at the completion of the rice being cooked or turn up the heat to high and listen to the bottom of the rice toast. Once the aroma of toasted rice comes from the pan, but before the rice burns, the heat is removed once again. The paella is ready to be served after having cooled for several minutes.
Rice used in Paella
Do not use long grain rice, but a short grain rice. When making paella or any other Spanish rice dish, don't wash the rice, for it needs its outer coating of starch.
It's best to measure rice by volume so you can estimate how much liquid is needed. Use a measuring cup or a teacup. For example, one cup of dry rice (6-7 ounces/ 180-200 grams) requires two cups of liquid for "dry" rice; three cups for "juicy" rice, and four or more cups for soupy rice. However, take into account that you will probably need additional liquid in which to cook the meat, vegetables or seafood before the rice is added.
As ever with rice dishes, the point is to remember that it will carry on cooking after it’s been taken off the heat. 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 parts equally.
Valencian 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. After 20 minutes 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. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
