Recipes Information<
 
Web World-SuperSite

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:

New York Times

Recipes for Health Garlic Soup With Potatoes and Broccoli
New York Times, United States - 39 minutes ago
This series offers recipes with an eye towards empowering you to cook healthy meals every day. Produce, seasonal and locally grown when possible, ...


Jean-Georges offers three recipes for the holidays
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 14 minutes ago
Here are the recipes for three of his creations that might work well at a holiday gathering. Although these spring rolls are cooked, the tuna remains raw, ...


Christmas cookie issue features the best of reader recipes
Tampabay.com, FL - 11 hours ago
Just when we think we've seen every Christmas cookie recipe on the face of the Earth and tasted every drop, bar and cut-out ever conceived, you amaze us. ...


Recipes of love between Moms, daughters
Atlanta Journal Constitution,  USA - 23 hours ago
Metro Atlanta and New York City women learn culinary secrets from their mothers, amid tears and laughter, on Lifetime TV’s ‘Mom’s Cooking,’ a two-week ...
Cookin’ with Mom, cookin’ like Mom Atlanta Journal Constitution
all 4 news articles


New York Times

Recipes for Health A Simple Broth With a Mild Kick
New York Times, United States - Dec 1, 2008
I’ll share four of those recipes this week, along with the broth offered here, which makes a soothing vegetarian alternative to chicken stock. ...


St. Louis Post-Dispatch

St. Louis pastry chefs share holiday cookie recipes
St. Louis Post-Dispatch,  United States - 6 minutes ago
Mathew Rice, Helen Fletcher, Carolyn Downs and Paula Lake traded cookies and recipes. (Erik M. Lunsford/PD) By Judith Evans We asked six local pastry chefs ...


Cookbooks a key ingredient in recipe for gift-giving
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, NY - 12 hours ago
Sheila Lukins, half of the former Silver Palate duo, is back with a compendium of her favorite foods, each glorified with 10 recipes. ...
12 Days of Holiday Cookies: Homemade Graham Crackers Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
all 2 news articles


Health notes: Make recipes healthier
The Grand Rapids Press - MLive.com, MI - 3 hours ago
by The Grand Rapids Press The Grand Rapids African American Health Institute's cookbook, "The First Step," conveys ways to make family recipes healthier and ...


New cookbook features contest-winning recipes, traditional favorites
The Jackson Citizen Patriot - MLive.com, MI - Dec 1, 2008
By Monetta L. Harr When you have a collection of contest winners and recipes that are highly rated, it's pretty easy to create a best-selling cookbook. ...


Chocolate and vanilla
The Oregonian - OregonLive.com, OR - 3 hours ago
So we called chocolate expert Alice Medrich, who has written a number of cookbooks, notably "Bittersweet: Recipes and Tales From a Life in Chocolate. ...

Recipes - Google News

home | site map
© 2006