Paella Party

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 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!”

Classic

Valencian Paella

Contributions by Tesco Real Food

Ingredients

• large pinch saffron strands • 1 cube vegetable or chicken stock • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling • ½ pound chorizo, roughly chopped • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (or a mix), chopped • 1 onion, finely chopped • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped • 2 tsp paprika • 1 cup Spanish paella rice • 4 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped • ½ cup frozen peas • 1 cup cooked prawns with shells on (thawed if frozen) and rinsed • small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to serve • chopped lemon wedges, to serve

Directions

1. Stir the saffron strands into the stock and set aside to infuse while you prepare the rest of the paella. 2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a paella pan or a large deep-frying pan with a lid. Tip in the chorizo and fry for about 3 mins until it is crisp and the oil has been released. Remove the chorizo and drain on kitchen paper, leaving the oil in the pan. 3. Stir the chicken into the pan and fry over a high heat for 7 - 8 mins, or until the meat is golden and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside. 4. Pour another 1 tbsp of oil into the pan, tip in the chopped onion, garlic and stir-fry for 4 - 5 mins, until softened and just starting to color. Stir in the pepper and paprika with the remaining tablespoon of oil and stir-fry for a further 1 - 2 mins. The pan should have lots of crispy, brown bits on the bottom, which will all add flavor.

5. With the heat still quite high, quickly stir in the rice so it is well-coated in the oil, then pour in the saffron-infused stock plus 2 cups boiling water, scraping up the sticky brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. 6. Return the browned chicken pieces to the pan, then add the chopped tomatoes. Cover the pan and cook on a medium heat for 10 mins, stirring once or twice.

Scatter the peas, prawns and fried chorizo over the top, cover again and leave to cook a further 5 - 10 mins, or until the rice is just cooked and most of the liquid in the pan has been absorbed. 7. Remove the pan from the heat, put the lid on and leave to rest for 5 mins. Stir a few times to mix the ingredients, season to taste and scatter over the chopped parsley.

Serve with lemon wedges and an extra drizzle of oil, if you like.