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Paella (pronounced IPA: [pa'eʎa]) is a rice dish, originally from Valencia (Spain) where it is eaten especially on Sundays and during the Falles. There are many variations of it with different ingredients.
The name paella is the word for "frying pan" in Valencian (from Latin patella). However, the dish has become so popular in Spain that the word paellera is now usually used for the pan and paella almost exclusively for the dish. In the Valencia area, nevertheless, the name paella is commonly used for both the pan and the dish.
Paella is usually garnished with vegetables and meat or seafood. The three main ingredients are rice, saffron, and olive oil.
It is normally made using shellfish but can also be made with chicken or rabbit. In many Spanish villages, especially in coastal areas, they use a giant paellera to cook a paella on festival days which is big enough to feed everybody. A paella is very flexible so if you don't have the exact ingredients or if you find some of them hard to get hold of, substitute them for something similar. Getting fresh shellfish can be a problem, but you can always use frozen fish and use fish stock instead of water to increase the flavour. There are literally hundreds of ways to cook a paella and every cook has their own favourite recipe. Ingredients 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 green pepper, finely chopped ½ red pepper, boiled until soft and then cut into long thin strips 2 medium-sized tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 100g peas, cooked 200g prawns (if using cooked prawns substitute fish stock for the water) 200g small clams 200g squid 12 mussels 350g rice (traditionally short grain rice is used but I prefer to use long grain) 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped about 800ml water a pinch of saffron strands (if you can't get saffron, use yellow food colouring instead and add it once you have added the liquid) a sprig of parsley, finely chopped olive oil
Preparation
Mussels: Wash the mussels, removing the beards. Throw away any that don't shut on contact with water. Fresh Squid: Rub off the outer dark skin. Pull out the insides (including the transparent back bone) and pinch the eye away from the tentacles. Save the tentacles. Cut the squid into rings. Clams: Wash in water and then put in a bowl with some salt so that the grit comes out. Throw away any that are open. Prawns: Whether you peel them or not is up to you. If you decide to peel them, save the shells and boil in water for about ten minutes. Save the liquid and add later instead of water. Garlic: In a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, saffron (if using), parsley and a pinch of salt.
Heat some olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the onion, green pepper and carrot and fry gently for about five minutes. Add the chopped tomato and squid (with the tentacles) and fry on a low heat for another ten minutes. Add the rice and stir well to make sure that it is thoroughly coated. Add water (or the water from boiling the prawn shells or fish stock if using frozen fish), clams and the garlic/saffron/parsley mixture and bring to the boil. Season with salt. Put a lid on it, turn the heat right down and cook very slowly for about ten minutes. Add the prawns and peas and give it a stir. Arrange the mussels and strips of red pepper artistically on top, put the lid back on and leave for another ten minutes - checking that it has enough water. If you think it is getting too dry, add more water, but shake the handle of the pan rather than stir so as not to upset the pattern. Once the rice is cooked and the mussels have opened, it is ready to eat.
With a name like Smuckers Member # 10289
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I adore a good Paella, my mother makes a mean dish of it - I get cravings every now and then, the picture is killing me!!
Ayisha Member # 4713
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Pic is lovely and I was doing ok till it got to squid and reading the instructions relating to squid, now i feel ill
With a name like Smuckers Member # 10289
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you can always substitute things, my mother never put in squid, just cook it your taste
meninarmer Member # 12654
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hmmmm...gotta have some of that. Last time I had some was in Sevilla and I'm hungry for more.
sheba76 Member # 12165
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It does look good.
I have a friend in Spain. She gave me her family recipe. It's much like this one, but with a few secret ingredients. (promised I wouldn't tell) But OMG it is the best paella I've ever tasted.
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and reading the instructions relating to squid, now i feel ill ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
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But OMG it is the best paella I've ever tasted.