|
Cooking TipsSpanish Food: How To Do The Perfect Paella
by:
Linda Plummer
Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the
best-known is going to be the prodigious dish
... that tasty,
adaptable, gregarious dish famous throughout European country and the World.
And, what an impressive select of recipes exist for a gratifying
paella: seafood, chicken, rabbit ... or a mixture of all three!
Perhaps you are non-meat consumption ... well, simply opt for one of the
several feeder
dish
recipes. Bit of a health fanatic?
Then substitute white rice for whole-grain rice or wild rice.
Got a large family and not more money to feed them on? Use
plenty of rice and imagination on
with a tasty stock, plus
whatever you can find in the cupboard! I have for certain enjoyed
many paellas wherever
there have been more bones/shells than meat/
seafood! And, really tasty they have been too, the richness of
the institution more than compensating for any scarceness in the
ingrediants.
So ... how do you go simply about fashioning the perfect paella? 1st of
all, you need to choose your rice. The short-grained rice from
Valencia - wherever
most Spanish rice originates - is fine for
making paellas. However, the "bomba" rice fully grown in the
neighboring region of Murcia, is the "king" of dish
rice: again,
short-grained, it has the ability to absorb the stock whilst
remaining firm.
Another "must" is to use saffron ("azafrán") to create the gentle,
yellow color for which this delectable dish is renowned. Yes, it
is possible to buy cheaper, artificial colorings but ... go for
the traditional - it wish bestow a extraordinary aroma and unique
flavor.
Many Spaniards swear a perfect dish
can only be achieved once
using a tasty, home-made stock. Some you decide, allow at
least double the figure of liquid to rice. If, during cooking,
the dish becomes a little dry, simply add a dash more water or
stock.
Another tip I have been told, on more than one occasion, is to
gently fry the rice for a few minutes before adding the stock,
ensuring that it is well-coated in oil. I think all Spaniards
would agree that, once cooked, it is better to leave your dish
to
stand for a nice five minutes before serving.
Perhaps the most important ingrediant for fashioning that perfect
paella, is to use lashings and lashings of love whilst preparing
it - for surely, that is thing
we can all afford - and to
enjoy to the full the marvellous institution of those who wish share
it with you.
I shall now have to choose a dish
direction to offer you as an
example! I think I wish opt for a food
paella, typical of the
region of Valencia, wherever
I live. The ingrediants are for a
hearty four servings. If you are not a hefty eater, or on a diet,
then reduce the figure of rice/stock slightly.
Paella Valenciana - Dish
From Valencia
Ingrediants:
- 4 cups rice.
- 8 cups fish stock.
- 8 king-sized prawns/langoustines.
- 8 mussels.
- 200 gr shrimps.
- 200 gr peas (fresh or frozen).
- 2 tomatoes, injured and chopped.
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced.
- 3 strands saffron, crumbled.
- Olive oil for frying.
Method:
1. Sauté garlic in a paella-type pan.
2. Add tomatoes, peas, shrimps and saffron.
3. Cook for a few minutes.
4. Add rice and stock.
5. Simmer for around 20 minutes.
6. Decorate with prawns and mussels.
7. Cover dish
with a lid.
8. Poach the food
for a few minutes.
9. Decorate dish
with lemon quarters.
10. Enjoy!
Just simply about the author:
After living in European country for 20 years, Linda Plummer
decided to compile her information-rich site:
http://www.top-tour-of-spain.com
with its FREE monthly newsletter, "The Magic of Spain".
Circulated by Article Emporium
| |
