Spanish Food – The Perfect Paella

Are you looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without a doubt, the best known is going to be the prodigious paella… that tasty, adaptable, gregarious dish, famous throughout Spain and the world.

And what an impressive selection of recipes there is for a delicious paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit… or a mix of all three! Maybe you don’t eat meat… well, just opt ​​for one of the several vegetarian paella recipes. A bit of a health freak? Then substitute the white rice for brown rice or wild rice.

Do you have a large family and do not have much money to feed them? Use lots of rice and imagination along with a tasty broth, plus whatever you can find in the pantry! I have certainly enjoyed many paellas where there have been more bones/shells than meat/seafood! And, very tasty too, the company’s wealth more than makes up for any shortages in ingredients.

So… how do you go about making the perfect paella? First of all, you must choose your rice. Short grain rice from Valencia, where most Spanish rice originates, is fine for making paellas. However, 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 broth while remaining firm.

Another “must” is to use saffron (“saffron”) to create the soft yellow color this delicious dish is famous for. Yes, it is possible to buy cheaper artificial colors, but… go traditional: it will give you a wonderful aroma and a unique flavor.

For many Spaniards, a perfect paella can only be achieved with a tasty homemade broth. Whatever you decide, leave at least twice as much liquid as the rice. If the dish dries out a bit during cooking, just add a splash more water or broth.

Another piece of advice that I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the broth, making sure that it is well covered with oil. I think all Spaniards would agree that, once cooked, it is best to let the paella rest for a good five minutes before serving.

Perhaps the most important ingredient to make that perfect paella is to use loving hands in its preparation -which is surely something that we can all afford- and to fully enjoy the wonderful company of those who will share it. your.

Now I will have to choose a paella recipe to offer you as an example! I think I will go for a seafood paella, typical of the Valencia region, where I live. The ingredients are for four hearty servings. If you don’t eat much or aren’t on a diet, slightly reduce the amount of rice/broth.

Valencian Paella – Valencian Paella

Ingredients:

– 4 cups of rice.

– 8 cups of fish broth.

– 8 king-size prawns/scampi.

– 8 mussels.

– 200 g of prawns.

– 200 g of peas (fresh or frozen).

– 2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped.

– 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced.

– 3 strands of crumbled saffron.

– Olive oil for frying.

Method:

1. Sautéed garlic in a paella pan.

2. Add the tomatoes, peas, shrimp and saffron.

3. Cook for a few minutes.

4. Add the rice and broth.

5. Cook over low heat for about 20 minutes.

6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.

7. Cover the paella with a lid.

8. Poach the seafood for a few minutes.

9. Decorate the paella with lemon quarters.

10. Enjoy!