Spain | Paella
Paella — known to be the national meal of Spain, had a very humble start. It origins are rooted in farming culture. Farmers and workers alike, would use whatever ingredients were growing around them to include in the saffron-rice blend brewing over the campfire, whether it be onions, tomatoes, shellfish, or beans. Instead of individual servings, each farmer would have his or her own wooden spoon to eat straight out of the paella pan, thus creating a history of community associated with the dish. Since its growing popularity over centuries of new variations and twists, everyone will claim their paella is the best. The name ‘Paella’ actually refers to the pan and not the dish itself; a common misconception.
There are some other wonderful (if less likely) theories about the origins of the name. The most romantic of them suggests that the dish was first prepared by a lover for his fiancée and that the word is a corruption of ‘para ella’ (meaning ‘for her’ in Spanish). Like all myths there is a small grain of truth in this and although many women still traditionally do the cooking in Spain, making paella is usually left to the men
- The Paella Company
Spanish Paella is a dish that is very dear to my heart. I grew up eating comfort foods like this — foods that stick to your bones and leave you warm and needing back to back siestas. Back in 2016, I backpacked Europe with a dear friend of mine, Lucas Scott. While in Barcelona, Lucas and I visited a restaurant called 7 Portes, who, since 1836, has been making paella. But after living in the birthplace of this historic dish, Valencia, I have begun to understand what it takes to create a paella even the proudest of Spaniards will approve of and I will openly say that Spain offers an abundance of incredible meals, different in every region, therefore you should not eat paella anywhere but in Valencia. It is not a meal eaten alone, but instead a celebratory feast that is enjoyed on any occasion.
Traditional Paella Valenciana:
500g Rabbit
500g Chicken
60 cl Extra virgin olive oil
1 ripe tomato
200g of green beans
200g kg of garrofón (lima bean)
500g rice (bomba)
1.5 liters stock
Fresh rosemary
Saffron
Salt
10 pre-boiled mussels
Heat up the paella, add the olive oil, wait until warm, then add the meat
Sauté it over low heat until the meat is half cooked or a golden color
Next is to add the tomato (peeled and ground) and vegetables, keeping the same heat
Once everything is cooked and incorporated together, add stock, rosemary and heat everything up.
When the mixture begins to boil, add the rice, the mussels, salt and saffron and remove rosemary. During this part, the fire needs to be on high heat
When the rice is cooking for about 10 minutes, decrease the heat gradually for at least another ten minutes.
The final 5 minutes, crank the heat back up and allow a crust to form at the bottom of the pan. This is referred to as the “socarrat”, which is the most coveted part of the paella in the eyes of the Valencian people.
Recipe by: Jack Hatzfeld
