Last week, I brought you (well, not literally – sorry guys) the delicious delights of Spain, featuring tapas y sangria. This week, I bring you the official dish of Spain: paella. A little help: say it like pie-EH-ya.
While last week I shot down hopes thoughts of Spanish food as our beloved nachos and enchiladas, this week I will tell you what typically Spanish food is. The truth is, Spanish food actually features a lot of fresh seafood – we are off the Mediterranean coast after all! And this seafood can play a big role in the dish of Spain; however, in reality, paella can consist of pretty much anything the cook desires. Some reoccurring and popular ingredients, though, include chicken, pork, shellfish, fish, maybe some eel or squid, peans, peas, artichokes, peppers… the list goes on. A consistent staple of paella, however, is the herb saffron, responsible for turning the rice base into a beautiful golden color.
Paella is traditionally cooked in a paella pan, or paellera – basically just a fancy name for an open, flat, and wide pan that can be used to cook the mixture over a fire (fun to do on a summer night over an open fire, eh??). Use bomba rice – you know, next time you happen to find yourself in Levante, Spain and can pick some up – or you could just use any other kind of medium-grain rice for convenience’s sake. Finally, you can decide from the three main versions of paella: traditional Paella Valenciana, Paella de Marisco, o Paella Vegetariana. You may easily identify the last one as the vegetarian option, but I am here to tell you that “de Marisco” means “seafood” – in this case, usually shrimp, clams, fish, and mussels – and the Valenciana version often includes rabbit, chicken, snails, beans, and artichokes. Because this one is the most traditional, here’s the recipe!! And get ready to rent out Simmons kitchen.