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Recipes: Paella, Plain and Not So Simple

Westhampton Beach cookbook author shares her recipe for paella.

More than 50 million tourists visit Spain each year, and chances are they all run into an offer of paella at some point during their stay. Along with gazpacho — a cold tomato and pepper-based soup from the region of Andulusia; tapas — appetizer portions of cold meats, cheese, or fish served on small plates; and flan — caramel-coated baked custard, paella is generally recognized as one of the country’s most traditional dishes.

All paella is not created equal, though, and like the country itself which is marked with the imprint of the different civilizations that once made Spain their home, so too is the famous dish, most commonly made with rice, but also with lima beans, broad white beans, and chickpeas.

But first the rice: as far back as the fifteenth century, Valencia, a region on Spain’s eastern coast between Catalonia and Murcia, was renowned for its good food. Any description of Valencian cuisine today refers first and foremost — almost exclusively in fact — to paella. The dish itself, which derives its name from paellera, the two-handled flat pan in which it’s cooked, dates back to the mid-nineteenth century when it was first made in the rice-growing area around Albufera Lake.

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As with other Valencian rice dishes, the secret of good paella lies in the cook’s ability to give the rice a very special texture. The grains should be loose, dry, and soft and take in the flavor of the other ingredients, which brings us to the “not so simple” part of the recipe.

The truth is, there is no set recipe for this legendary dish, which some consider to be the standard-bearer of the country’s gastronomy. A good paella may contain chicken, pork, sausages, crustaceans, mollusks, eel, squid, peas, beans, or artichokes, and many of the ingredients are determined by regional preferences. The universal and important part of the flavor, however, comes from the addition of saffron and the sofrito, the combination of tomatoes, garlic, and sometimes peppers.

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Generally speaking, the meat is stir fried in olive oil, the rice is added, followed by water, fish stock, or chicken stock, which is brought to a boil and left boiling for about 30 minutes. If shrimp and mussels are added, they get tucked into the rice last and cook for 8 to 10 minutes.

Once the rice is nearly done, the paella is removed from the heat and left to absorb the remaining liquid. Traditional paella has a crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom (called socarrat in Valencian) that is considered a delicacy.

To achieve a socarrat, one either needs to time the evaporation of the liquid properly with the completion of the rice being cooked, or turn up the heat to high and listen to the bottom of the rice toast. Once the aroma of toasted rice comes from the pan, but before the rice burns, the pan is removed once again. Paella is a great party dish, and for authentic flavor you can serve it family-style; set the dish in the center of the table and let everyone dig in! Serve it with sangria or a robust Rioja.

Mixed Meat and Seafood Paella from Palma

On a visit to Palma, Mallorca, a few years ago, we made this meat and seafood paella in a pan large enough to serve about 40 people, a common practice for community gatherings and festivals throughout Spain. The recipe has been scaled to serve 8.

 2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 to 2 threads saffron or 1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/4 pound pork ribs, cut into small pieces

1/2 pound rabbit (or an additional 1/2 pound chicken), cut into small pieces

2 1/2 pounds chicken, cut into small pieces

1/2 pound squid, cut into small pieces

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 red pepper, seeded and cut into strips

2 1/2 cups short-grain rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra (see Note)

Juice of 1 lemon

1/2 pound green beans, blanched for 3 minutes, and drained

1/2 pound frozen peas

4 cups hot chicken or fish stock

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Parsley sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish

In a small bowl or mortar, mash the garlic, parsley, saffron, and salt to a paste. Set aside.

In a large paella pan or 15-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork and rabbit and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer the meat to a platter. Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Transfer the chicken to the platter. Add the squid and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly tender. Transfer the squid to the platter. Add the onion, tomato, and pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but not browned.

Return the cooked meats and squid to the pan, add the garlic-parsley paste, rice, lemon juice, beans, and peas. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes without stirring. During the last 10 minutes, tuck the shrimp and mussels into the rice. Discard any mussels that do not open. Season with pepper. Turn off the heat and cover for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb any excess liquid. Garnish with the lemon wedges and parsley spring. Serves 6 to 8

 Paella from Valencia

Classic Valencian paella uses dry white beans, also known as “garrofo” or “tabella” beans, and often snails. You’ll also find recipes that use chorizo, a spicy Spanish sausage.

1 cup dry white beans, soaked overnight

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

1 to 2 threads saffron or 1/2 teaspoon powdered saffron

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 pounds chicken, cut into small pieces

1 large onion, chopped

2 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

4 cups chicken stock

1/2 pound green beans, blanched for 3 minutes, and drained

2 1/2 cups short-grain rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra (see Note)

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Parsley sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish

Drain the beans. In a saucepan over medium heat, cover the beans with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans, covered, for about 1 hour, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

In a small bowl or mortar, mash the garlic, parsley, saffron, and salt to a paste. Set aside.

In a large paella pan or 15-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a platter. Add the onion and tomato and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until soft but not browned.

Return the chicken to the pan, add the garlic-parsley paste, white beans, rice, and green beans. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes to mix. Pour in the stock, bring to a boil while stirring, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes without stirring. During the last 10 minutes, tuck the shrimp into the rice. Season with pepper. Turn off the heat and cover for about 10 minutes to allow the rice to absorb any excess liquid. Garnish with the lemon wedges and parsley spring. Serves 6 to 8

Note: Paella4all.com is a good source for Spanish products including paella pans, paella kits, and individual ingredients such as rice and saffron.

Editor's Note: , of Westhampton Beach, is the author of five cookbooks and is currently writing a new cookbook called, Flavors of Ireland.

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