**Paella: A Delightful Journey Through Spanish Flavors**
Embark on a culinary adventure to the vibrant shores of Spain with paella, a traditional dish that captures the essence of the country's rich culinary heritage. Originating in the Valencia region, paella has become a beloved national treasure, enjoyed for its vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and delectable flavors. This versatile dish showcases the bounty of Spanish ingredients, featuring an array of succulent seafood, tender meats, and an assortment of fresh vegetables, all harmoniously united in a bed of saffron-infused rice. From the classic Valencian paella to its diverse regional variations, paella offers a tantalizing symphony of textures and flavors that will transport your taste buds to the heart of Spain. Join us as we explore the delectable world of paella, unraveling the secrets behind this iconic dish and presenting a collection of enticing recipes that will satisfy every palate.
SEAFOOD PAELLA
It's worth making your own prawn stock, but if you don't have time, substitute it with fish stock that's been simmered over a low heat and seasoned with paprika and saffron.
Provided by Andy Harris
Categories Mains Jamie Magazine Seafood Dinner Party Alfresco Spanish
Time 2h10m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 28
Steps:
- Start by making the stock. Peel and roughly chop the onion, then peel the garlic, keeping them whole.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and sauté the onion, garlic, paprika, bay leaves and prawn shells and heads for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the wine and fish stock and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until it starts to reduce.
- Strain through a colander into a large jug and set aside until needed (when you come to make the paella, just reheat the stock until hot, but not boiling).
- For the sofrito, peel and dice the onions and garlic, then add to a large frying pan over a medium-low heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the paprika. Fry for 7 to 8 minutes, or until softened and golden.
- Pour in the wine and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, then coarsely grate in the tomatoes, discarding the skins. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Lower the heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened into a lovely sauce. Transfer to a bowl until ready to use.
- To make the paella, deseed and roughly chop the peppers. Cut the monkfish into large chunks, then slice the squid. Wash the mussels and clams thoroughly, discarding any that remain open when tapped.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a large paella pan over a medium heat and cook the peppers for 5 minutes, until softened. Transfer to a separate bowl with a slotted spoon. Set aside.
- Add the monkfish to the pan, season generously and cook for 10 minutes, or until tender. Set aside in a bowl.
- Throw the squid into the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, then tip it into the bowl with the monkfish. Set aside until ready to use.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan, scatter in the rice in an even layer and sauté over a medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the rice is golden.
- Stir the sofrito into the rice and cook for 2 minutes, then add the hot prawn stock and bring the mixture to the boil for another 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle the saffron and paprika over the rice, reduce the heat to low and simmer, without stirring, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until all the liquid has almost been absorbed.
- Arrange the peppers, monkfish, squid, prawns, mussels and clams evenly around the top of the paella. Cook for about 8 minutes, turning the prawns halfway through, or until the mussels and clams have opened (discard any that don't) and the prawns are cooked.
- Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil, cover the pan with tin foil and a few clean tea towels and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 946 calories, Fat 35.3 g fat, SaturatedFat 5.4 g saturated fat, Protein 40.5 g protein, Carbohydrate 111.5 g carbohydrate, Sugar 9.5 g sugar, Sodium 0.8 g salt, Fiber 4.8 g fibre
MY FAVOURITE PAELLA
This tasty paella has a bit of everything! Wonderfully comforting, flavoursome and colourful
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Categories Mains Jamie Does... Seafood Dinner Party Spanish Pork Chorizo
Time 1h10m
Yield 6 to 8
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Heat a large wide-based pan over a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil, the sliced chorizo and the pork belly. Fry for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As soon as the chorizo starts taking on colour and the fat is beginning to cook out of it, add the chopped peppers, garlic, onion and parsley stalks along with a good pinch of salt and pepper and the saffron. Fry gently for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to soften. Meanwhile pick through the shellfish and get rid of any clams or mussels that aren't tightly closed.
- Add the rice and jarred peppers and keep stirring for a few minutes until the rice is coated in all the lovely flavours, then pour in the tinned tomatoes and 800ml of stock, seasoning again with salt and pepper. Bring everything to the boil, then turn down to a medium to low heat and stir constantly for about 15 minutes. This combination of flavours will be absolutely beautiful, but you've got to help the dish along by doing your job and making sure each grain of rice gets the same amount of love. So every now and then, stir from the outside of the pan into the middle so you get a sort of pile of rice in the centre, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Flatten the pile out with your spoon, then start the whole process again.
- After 15 minutes the rice should be cooked, but still have a bit of a bite, so add the mussels or clams and the prawns. You may want to add an extra splash of stock here if the rice looks a bit dry. Keep stirring, and as the clams and mussels start to open and the prawns begin to turn pink, add your squid and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes or so. Discard any clams or mussels that don't open. Stir in the chopped parsley leaves and the juice from half your lemon wedges, and bring to the table with the remaining lemon wedges on the side and a crisp green salad.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 822 calories, Fat 49.8 g fat, SaturatedFat 16.3 g saturated fat, Protein 38.3 g protein, Carbohydrate 55.6 g carbohydrate, Sugar 9.8 g sugar, Sodium 0 g salt, Fiber 0 g fibre
CHICKEN & CHORIZO PAELLA
I've made a few paellas in my time. The biggest one was for about 800 people in a village in Spain and it was hard work, but an incredible experience. The Spanish can be quite protective about what is and what isn't a paella, but at the same time, the spirit of their cooking has always been flexible to whatever meat, fish, seafood or game can be found. I've eaten and enjoyed many paellas, and I hope you like my humble, great-value expression of one.
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Categories Mains Save with Jamie Dinner Party Spanish Chicken Pork Seafood
Time 50m
Yield 4
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Peel and finely slice the garlic, peel and roughly chop the onion and carrot. Finely chop the parsley stalks, then roughly chop the chorizo and chicken thighs.
- Put a lug of oil into a large lidded shallow casserole or paella pan on a medium heat, add the garlic, onion, carrot, parsley stalks, chorizo, chicken and paprika, and fry for around 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Deseed and chop the pepper, then add to the pan for a further 5 minutes.
- Stir through the tomato purée and crumble in the stock cube, then add the rice and stir for a couple of minutes so it starts to suck up all that lovely flavour.
- Pour in 750ml of boiling water and add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Pop the lid on and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly from the outside in and from the inside out, and adding a splash of water if needed.
- Stir in the peas and prawns, replace the lid, and cook for a further 5 minutes, or until hot through.
- Season to perfection, then chop the parsley leaves, scatter them over the paella, and serve with lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 494 calories, Fat 12 g fat, SaturatedFat 3.3 g saturated fat, Protein 26.5 g protein, Carbohydrate 75.7 g carbohydrate, Sugar 8.5 g sugar, Sodium 1.6 g salt, Fiber 5.7 g fibre
MY FAVOURITE PAELLA
As a young boy, the idea of meat and fish together in one dish never made sense to me. But once I tried paella the combination of textures and smoky flavours completely won me over. It's one harmonious, exciting, stomach-pleasing smasher of a dish. Some locals will say you don't add chorizo, but because I love it, I'm adding it here. You can pick up a proper paella pan at most department stores, but a large shallow pan about 12 inches/30 cm across will also work a treat. Without question this is one of Spain's hero dishes. Although incredibly flexible and delicious, it was never intended to be as visual and flamboyant a dish as it is. It was invented by farmers, grabbing whatever bits of meat, vegetable and fish they had available to them and using rice to bring it all together. Over time it's been refined and claimed by all sorts of people around Spain as their own. That's the great thing about paella, you can make it your own by taking the principle of it and adjusting it to embrace whatever ingredients are in season and around you.
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Time 1h20m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 19
Steps:
- Heat a large wide-based pan over a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil, the sliced chorizo and the pork belly. Fry for around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. As soon as the chorizo starts taking on colour and the fat is beginning to cook out of it, add the chopped green pepper, chopped red pepper, garlic, onion, and parsley stalks along with a good pinch of salt, pepper, and the saffron. Fry gently for another 10 minutes, or until the vegetables have begun to soften. Meanwhile, pick through the shellfish and get rid of any clams or mussels that aren't tightly closed.
- Add the rice and jarred peppers and keep stirring for a few minutes until the rice is coated in all the lovely flavours, then pour in the tinned tomatoes and 3 1/3 cups (27 ounces)/800 ml stock, seasoning again with salt and pepper. Bring everything to the boil, then turn down to a medium to low heat and stir constantly for about 15 minutes. This combination of flavours will be absolutely beautiful, but you've got to help the dish along by doing your job and making sure each grain of rice gets the same amount of love. So every now and then, stir from the outside of the pan into the middle so you get a sort of pile of rice in the centre, making sure nothing is sticking to the bottom. Flatten the pile out with your spoon, then start the whole process again.
- After 15 minutes, the rice should be cooked, but still have a bit of a bite, so add the mussels or clams and the prawns.
- Keep stirring, and as the clams and mussels start to open and the prawns begin to turn pink, add your squid and green beans and cook for a further 5 minutes or so.
- Discard any clams or mussels that don't open. Stir in the chopped parsley leaves and the juice from 1/2 the lemon wedges, and bring to the table with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.
THE ULTIMATE PAELLA
Try to get as much shellfish as you can to make it even more authentic. Chicken stock is great for the flavor. Add it gradually, as you would a risotto. You may need more or less depending on the rice, so just keep adding and use your judgement.
Provided by Jamie Oliver
Categories main-dish
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 18
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F (190 degrees C/gas 5.) Remove the end bits of bone from the chicken legs, then cut them in half. Cut the chicken breasts in half. Coat all the chicken pieces with flour and salt and pepper. Put some oil in a hot large flat pan and brown the chicken legs and thighs, skin side down, turning them to brown them all over. Transfer them to a small roasting tray and continue to cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes
- Add the chicken fillets to the pan and let them brown, then add the chorizo slices. Lay the slices of pancetta over the top. Once crisp, turn the heat down, add the onion and garlic to the pan, and allow to soften. Pour the infused saffron and some of the stock into the pan, and add the smoked paprika and rice, stirring continuously.
- Finely chop the parsley stalks and add to the pan. When the rice is almost cooked, add the peas, mussels, prawns and squid, adding more stock if necessary. Cover the pan with foil. When the chicken is cooked, add it to the pan, then add a large handful of chopped parsley leaves. Check the seasoning. Cut the lemon into wedges, place around the edge of the pan, and serve.
Tips:
- Use Bomba or Valencia rice: These short-grain varieties absorb more liquid and stay firm, making them ideal for paella.
- Toast the rice before adding liquid: This helps the rice develop a nutty flavor and prevents it from becoming mushy.
- Use a wide, shallow pan: This allows the rice to cook evenly and develop a crispy bottom, known as the "socarrat."
- Add the liquid in stages: Gradually adding the liquid allows the rice to absorb it evenly and cook evenly.
- Let the paella rest before serving: This allows the flavors to meld and the rice to absorb any remaining liquid.
Conclusion:
Using only a few simple ingredients and techniques, you can create an authentic and delicious paella dish that is sure to impress your friends and family. Experiment with different seafood, vegetables, and seasonings to find your own favorite variations. Whether you prefer a traditional Valencian paella or a more modern seafood paella, this versatile dish is sure to become a staple in your kitchen.
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