Paella is a traditional Spanish culinary specialty cooked with seafood, vegetables and farm products. In the 16th century, farmers, fishermen, farmers of Valencia arranged to make a dish that they enjoyed together and above all they did it on a pan called paella hence the name paella given to this recipe. It is a dish that can easily be made in large quantities and therefore ideal for large receptions but be careful, you should have little secrets so as not to lose the taste with the quantities. In this article, I offer you a recipe with small quantities but with tips that you can adapt regardless of the quantity of your paella.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 g long grain rice
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 300g squid or cuttlefish or squid
- 350 g of chorizos
- 500g prawns
- 700 g of mussels
- 1 red pepper
- 1 green pepper
- 100 g of small weight
- 3 onions
- 2 bay leaves
- 250 ml olive oil
- 1 lemon
- Yellow food coloring
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 50 g parsley
- 1 head of garlic
- 200g tomato flesh
Total time
Preparation: 30min Resting: – Cooking: 1h
PREPARATION
1
For the preparation, start by extracting the water contained in the mussels which will be very important for cooking. To do this, wash the mussels and pour into a saucepan heated over medium heat then stir and cover. Stir from time to time until the mussels are open, bring and let cool. After they are cooled remove the shells, keep some for decoration. Then pass the juice that comes out of cooking through a chinois and set aside;
2
Then for an exceptional taste of your paella, remove the heads of ¾ of the shrimps and crush in a mortar and add 500ml of water. Pour into a saucepan, bring to the boil, filter to extract the juice and set aside. Also set aside the headless shrimps as well as the other ¼ whole for decoration at the end of cooking;
3
Finely chop the garlic and parsley, then slice the onions and peppers. Cut the chorizo into slices, the cuttlefish into small pieces;
COOKING
1
To cook, heat olive oil in a paella pan and add the chicken pieces to brown them;
2
Add the garlic and onions and let them brown for a few minutes as well;
3
Salt everything lightly while paying attention to the mussel juice which is also quite salty. Then add half of the chorizos, the cumin and simmer for 5 minutes while stirring constantly;
4
Now add the rice and stir well for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Use bomba rice or if you don't have any, use any other rice that has a good starch content, a rice with a cooking time of at least 20 minutes. ⇒ The rice used in paella must have a firm enough structure to withstand cooking over a high heat and be able to soak up the juices of the other ingredients without becoming too sticky. Special paella rices are available in Spanish food stores and online, but you can also use arborio rice or bomba rice. Both types of rice have a high starch content and are able to retain the flavor of the paella ingredients while remaining relatively firm.
5
Add the mussel juice and the shrimp head juice that you extracted earlier, then the tomato flesh and a little water, about 250 ml mix everything together and add half of the parsley, the bay leaves then the yellow food coloring or rather the turmeric. Mix again and simmer for 5 min;
6
Then add the peppers, mix. Make sure nothing sticks to the bottom of the pot (paella);
7
When the rice begins to absorb the juice, lower the heat and continue cooking over medium heat then add the cuttlefish and the other part of the chorizos. Add another 500ml of water and a little chilli to enhance the flavour and simmer for 3 min;
8
Pour in the shrimp and headless mussels and mix gently. Adjust the seasoning and add water if the rice is not soft enough;
9
Pour the mussels with shells and the peas. Add the peas at this stage of cooking if they are pre-cooked, if they are not cooked, you should add them a little earlier, when you add the peppers for example. Mix gently; ⇒ It is important not to stir the rice too much when cooking it, as this can make it sticky and affect its texture.
1O
Arrange the shrimps with the heads and the other mussels with shells and let the preparation dry completely. The paella is ready! Add a few drops of lemon if you like as well as the slices and parsley for more flavor and also for decoration. Enjoy hot. This meal can be accompanied by wine or a cream for dessert and above all respect the small Spanish tradition which is to take a nap after this meal.
Note:
Paella is a dish that when the quantity is interesting, can be difficult to enhance the taste. So here are some little tips that you should always apply for an extraordinary taste for a huge quantity of cooking.
- Use spices to flavor your vegetables and meats. Some popular spices for paella include saffron, paprika, oregano, and cumin.
- Add lemon or lime juice to your paella just before serving. This will add a refreshing, acidic note to your dish.
- Use chicken or fish stock when cooking to add extra flavor to your paella.
- Stir in fresh herbs, such as cilantro, mint or parsley, to add a touch of aromatic flavor.
- Try to use high-quality ingredients, such as fresh meats and fish and seasonal vegetables, to add natural flavor to your paella.
- Choose a quality of rice that is ideal for paella.
