PASSPORT
Paella Party Story & Photos by Theresa Daigle Design by Exis Villavicencio When you are hosting a large group of friends for a night of food and fun, choose something that is beyond the normal choices of pizza, wings and sub sandwiches. The traditional Spanish rice dish of paella will impress your foodie friends and even the pickiest of eaters. Paella, pronounced “pie-eh-ya,” is a traditional rice dish that originated in Valencia, Spain. According to The Paella Company, the dish was created by a group of farmers who got together in the field during lunch and took what they had on hand (vegetables and snails), added rice and beans and cooked it together to create what is now known as paella. Most times it was eaten directly from the pan. As the popularity for paella grew, different types of the dish were created using rabbit, chicken and seafood.
Today you can find over 200 different types of paella being offered around Spain, each specific to the region in which it was adapted.
Both the pan that paella is cooked in as well as the dish itself are known as paella. Most Spaniards would agree that the paella pan is a necessity when cooking this traditional dish. You can find paella pans in many home-good
26
FALL 2021
stores and online for a pretty good price. Alternatively, you can use a large deep-frying pan as well. Next you will need to consider the type of spices you will use. The addition of both saffron and paprika will deepen the flavor profile of your paella. You will also need to choose the base flavor of your dish based on the protein you are using. For example, if you want to make a vegetarian version, your base flavor may be better suited toward tomato. If you are making a chicken and rabbit paella, you would most likely be using chicken stock. The ingredients dictate the flavor profile, and you can be creative in what you add in terms of rice, vegetables and beans. The beauty of paella is there are no exact rules. Have fun, choose foods that you love and be creative. As they say in Spain, “¡buen provecho!”
