Paella - pronounced Pah.eh.yah not Pah.ehl.lah

 Paella - pronounced Pah.eh.yah not Pah.ehl.lah 

Paella is a Spanish rice dish originally from Valencia, is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine and takes it's name from the wide, shallow pan it is traditionally cooked in over an open fire. 

Obviously short grain rice is an essential ingredient for this dish and preferably Spanish bomba, with the native variety to Murcia being known as Arroz de Calasparra. 

There are five main types of Paella:

• Paella Valanciana - cooked using chicken, pork & rabbit
• Paella Mixta - cooked using meat & seafood
• Paella de Marisco - cooked using seafood and no meat, when 5 types of seafood are used it is often known as Paelle Marinera
• Paella Vegetariana - cooked without meat or seafood and contains vegetables such as artichoke, lima beans and peppers
• Paella Negra - cooked using squid ink, which gives it it's distinct black colour and flavour

Although the natives love rabbit many commercial restaurants tend to opt for meat, seafood or vegetable paella on their menus, as they know the tourist are not so keen. 

Another key ingredient in Paella is saffron.  Saffron gives the dish a distinctive yellow colour and a unique taste and aroma, that is almost impossible to imitate. Traditionally it is simmered in the stock before being added to the meat, seafood or veggie and then the rice added on top to allow the flavours to rise from below up through the rice. 

Paella is traditionally cooked in a round, wide, shallow patella which ensures the rice cooks evenly in one layer. When cooked on a burner or open fire there is usually a toasted (but not burnt) layer of rice on the bottom of the pan and all the liquid stock has been absorbed. This layer is known as the socarrat and considered the tastiest part of the dish.

My first memory of eating paella was on a family holiday, as a child. We were in La Pinada and there was a festival taking place. In the large square in the middle of the town the biggest paella I have ever seen was being cooked and served up with bread to the whole town. At around 10 or 11, I just remember being gobsmacked by the size of the pan, the buckets and buckets of seafood being thrown in and the paddle type utensils being used. It was an amazing sight to see and the whole town seemed to go into a frenzy when it was time to serve up.  The scene was something like the photo below, taken from a paella festival near Valencia - although I have to say that pan in Pinada was definitely 5 times the size of that or maybe it was just because I was so small. 

The above experience certainly gave me the taste for paella and the love of the Spanish culture around food, something which was a key part in my move to the beautiful region of Mazarrón. 

The most important thing to remember about paella is that it is designed for sharing and bringing people together.... the most important element of all Spanish cuisine! 

Un Saludo

Chica de Mazarrón xx