Request Newsletter | Food Online Website | Submit Articles and News | Return To Main Page

Recipes Information


Search the Web:

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:

ABC News

Tyler Florence's 7 recipes for a full holiday meal
MSNBC - 17 hours ago
Looking to get all your recipes from one reliable source? Food Network star Tyler Florence helps you prepare the turkey and all the delicious sides dishes ...
Emeril's Brined, Herb-Roasted Turkey ABC News
Making Thanksgiving gravy Examiner.com
Recipe of the week: Thanksgiving turkey: A fast-roasting classic ... The Week Magazine
all 4 news articles


Substitutions Make Holiday Fare Healthier
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 1 hour ago
22 (HealthDay News) -- You can eat healthier this holiday season by altering recipes and making good food choices, say experts with the Texas AgriLife ...


Scrumptious sweet potato recipes from readers, along with some ...
Fort Worth Star Telegram, TX - 12 hours ago
Here are tips for using them creatively, plus some recipes from readers By AMY CULBERTSON Sweet potato, coconut and gingerroot soup Robert Rose Inc. Our ...
How not to make a pig of yourself on Thanksgiving Austin 360
all 2 news articles


Examiner.com

Fun Raw Organic Thanksgiving Recipes that are also Eco and will ...
Examiner.com - 2 hours ago
Well now you can rejoice because I have created special Holiday Raw Organic recipes that are also Eco/Green and will help save our Planet because there is ...


PSPworld

Cooking Mama Responds to PETA by Highlighting Vegetarian Offerings ...
MarketWatch - Nov 19, 2008
Mama wants people to know that World Kitchen includes 51 recipes from around the world, ranging from vegetarian fare like miso soup and rice cakes to ...
Majesco Responds to PETA's Cooking Mama Parody Wired News
Majesco Responds To PETA On Cooking Mama Criticism Gamasutra
Majesco reponds to PETA Cooking Mama criticism gamesdog.co.uk
CVG Online - DailyTech
all 106 news articles


Telegraph.co.uk

Delia Smith's recipes: pumpkin pie
Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Nov 21, 2008
One day I'm hoping actually to be in the US for the big day, but meanwhile I'm offering a recipe for exiles over here, a quick and easy version of the ...
Pick a Perfectly Pleasing Pumpkin Pie Recipe at FoodNetwork.com MarketWatch
all 8 news articles


Tampabay.com

You Asked for It: Thanksgiving leftover recipes You Asked For It ...
Tampabay.com, FL - 6 hours ago
Can anyone share some good recipes for leftover turkey? Deborah Lemmon, Dunedin Creamy turkey and broccoli cobbler is a recipe Anna Stearns of Dunedin found ...


Sandwich Recipes From Renowned Boston Chefs
Epicurious - 15 hours ago
One café spokesperson confirmed that no substitutions are allowed; their mission is to maintain the integrity of the original recipe. ...


Aretha Franklin Shares Christmas Traditions, Recipes
NPR - 20 hours ago
... with Farai Chideya, Franklin reveals why she decided to produce an album of holiday standards, and the two share some of their favorite holiday recipes.


Do-it-yourself skincare recipes
The Olympian, WA - 3 hours ago
Face it, you don't need to spend a small fortune to take care of your skin properly. Instead, try these tips: n Cleanse: Use baby wash as a facial cleanser. ...

Recipes - Google News

home | site map

Site Map | Site Map | Links

© 2006