Spanish Paella

Rustic Seafood Paella

2011-04-11T06:09:00.000-07:00

Cooking a rustic paella outdoors...

A rustic paella does not have to mean an "authentic" Valencian paella, cooking paella over the open fire adds flavour and is the true Spanish way of cooking this ever popular dish. In the video below we have made a seafood paella cooked over the fire in true rustic style.

Food always tastes better eaten outside and even better when its cooked outside!

Enjoy the video and for rustic Spanish cooking equipment take a look at the Spanish paella and BBQ page.

Paella Ingredients

2010-03-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

Sourcing quality ingredients is the key to your successful paella. What first springs to mind may be the main ingredient itself, the basis of any paella - Rice. While a good quality absorbant rice is very important with flavour in mind what else can be added to the Spanish paella?

Depending on the type of paella you are making there are an abundance of ingredients that can be used. Artichoke hearts for example add flavour, traditionaly used to replace runner beans in Valencian paella.

Olives can also be added to meat and vegetable varieties, black or green can be used and both add depth to the dish. Peppers are another good example particularly for vegetable paella and also capers/caper barries.

One main aspect of todays modern cooking is versatility and variation. Of course the "traditional" paella will always be the Valencian recipe but with with the dish being so open to different flavours and recipes its always good to experiment with other ingredients too.

New Paella Ingredients >>>

2009-11-03T03:54:00.000-08:00

Spanish paella for Christmas? Paella is certainly as big favourite in Spain over the festive season - ideal for the New Years Eve party to bring in 2010. A mountain of Spanish tapas and enough to feed an army!

This year we have a selection of paella kits available as the ideal gift for the budding chef or simply for Dad who likes to work up a storm in the kitchen...

Christmas 2009 also sees some very special gourmet selections carefully put together using local knowledge, a bit of essential taste testing and feed back from you, the customer. You wanted a reserva selection from Orce village so this years "Special" is just that, take a look >>>

Over the next few months we will be featuring both our own paella recipes and yours in our newsletter, keep up to date with paella and all things Spanish gourmet HERE

Cooking Paella Outdoors

2009-07-04T05:29:00.000-07:00

Cooking Spanish paella outdoors over the open fire or barbeque is certainly the most authentic way to do it - and very easy. The trick is unlike other barbequing to not have the coals too hot, just add kindling little and often.

Here is a Rabbit and Pork paella cooked by the neighbours last summer. To see the recipe step by step in its entirety CLICK HERE

More Spanish Foodie ideas at the deli >>>

Paella Recipe Video

2009-06-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

If you fancy making a Spanish paella along to some traditional Spanish music take a peak at our Youtube paella recipe video. Here we have a step by step - photo by photo guide to chicken and prawn paella. It is somewhat of a first attempt in a slide show format but we promise they will get better!

Enjoy the music ("Maria Belén Santa Juana" From the album, "Lolita.. Y Ahora Lola un regalo a mi madre") and enjoy the paella!

More on the way....summer 2009 approaches...

MORE VIDEOS >>>

Quick Spanish Paella

2009-05-02T09:01:00.000-07:00

Calamari and mussel paella. This recipe follows all the basic rules of paella making but is detailed in all its simplicity, making paella easy. Enjoy

Ingredients:

500g squid rings
1 red pepper, diced finely
1 green pepper, diced finely
1 medium onion, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
250g paella rice
chicken stock
1/2 kilo mussels
teaspoon paella seasoning
salt and pepper
chopped parsley to garnish
olive oil

Method
1. Heat a little olive oil in a large paella pan then add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add the peppers and cook for a little longer until they begin to soften then add the tomatoes and continue cooking for 6-8 minutes or so.

2. Add the rice and cook for a few minutes until translucent, then slowly add the stock (about 3 parts stock to one part rice)

3. Add the seasoning and stir once then leave to cook for 5 minutes. Add the squid rings and mussels, cover (with foil or another big pan) and cook for 15-20 minutes until all the stock has been absorbed.

4. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for a few minutes before serving with a chopped parsley garnish.

Delicious!

Red Spanish Paella

2009-04-05T01:48:00.000-07:00

The classic Spanish paella has many variations and this is one of my summer favorites. It is quite a light paella, making it ideal for informal summer lunches. It is full of juicy sweetness and the use of lots of lovely red peppers and tomatoes make it really appealing.

You will need:

200g fresh prawns
1 chicken breast, cut into small cubes
1 onion
2 medium red peppers
4 tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
350g Calasparra rice
1 litre chicken or fish stock
3 tablespoons olive oil
small jar of roasted piquillo peppers
¼ teaspoon sweet paprika
¼ teaspoon saffron
Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Peel the onion and chop finely, peel and crush the garlic. Finely chop the red peppers and tomatoes. Set the vegetables aside while you prepare the prawns.
2. Clean and peel the prawns thoroughly, then rinse under running water. Put the stock onto a gentle heat.
3. Heat the oil in a large paella pan and add the onion and garlic, cook gently for a few minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 5 minutes and then add the red pepper and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or so.
4. Slowly add the rice a ladle full at a time and cook for 5 minutes stirring all the time until the rice is translucent. Then add the stock again using a ladle, Calasparra rice needs 3½ parts stock to 1 part rice.
5. Add the saffron, paprika, prawns, salt and pepper. Stir once to mix then lower the heat and cover. Cook for around 20-25 minutes until the stock has been absorbed by the rice. Check after about 15 minutes and add more stock if necessary but don't stir!
6. Turn off the heat, add the piquillo peppers and cover again for 5 minutes before serving.

Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

2009-03-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

This recipe was made with the help from one of Gayle's English students, Cloti who is the head of tourism in Orce village. This seafood paella recipe is one the more common recipes although there are many adaptions with the seafood ingredients.

This paella recipe is also available with more photos here

Paella Ingredients:

1/2 kilo mussels
1/2 kilo cockles or clams
1/2 kilo squid
2 swordfish steaks
1/2 kilo fresh prawns
3 ripe vine tomatoes
1 onion
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
Handful fresh broadleaf parsley
4 cloves garlic
4 strands saffron
1 kilo calasparra rice (short grain)
3 - 4 pints fish or chicken stock
Cup extra virgin olive oil
S&P to taste

Method:

1. Prepare the veg - peppers, onion, garlic and tomatoes should be diced (small).

2. Prepare the seafood - clean and de-beard the mussels and cockles. Remove the bone from the squid and slice the flesh into rings. Cut the swordfish into bite sized chunks.

3. In a large paella pan (36cm), heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes, fry gently

4. Cook on a moderate heat until the vegetables begin to soften but do not allow them to brown.

5. Add the squid rings and swordfish chunks to the pan and cook for a few minutes, then reduce the heat.

6. Meanwhile, steam the cockles and mussels until they are just beginning to open, Remove them from the heat and set aside.

7. Add the paella rice to the paella pan, turn up the heat and stir the rice well allowing it to mix with the fish and become coated with the oil. Let the rice cook for 3 - 4 minutes.

8. Slowly add the fish stock to the rice, stirring gently. Cook on a high heat for five minutes then reduce the heat.

9. In a mortar, bash and crush the strands of saffron with a pinch of salt and the parsley, add a small spoonful of water and mix well together.

10. Add the saffron and parsley to the paella pan and mix well so it is evenly distributed throughout.

11. Allow to cook for 10 - 12 minutes stirring only occasionally to test.

12. Go back to the mussels and open the shells discarding the half without the mussel in.

13. Add the prawns and cockles to the dish and cook for a further 5 - 6 minutes.

14. When the paella rice has soaked up the stock, turn off the heat and add the mussels.

15. Cover the dish with foil and allow the paella to rest for a few minutes.

16. Remove the foil, decorate with slices of lime or lemon and serve.

This paella recipe will serve 8 good portions. Need step by step pics? Click here

Spanish Recipes Outdoors

2009-03-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Spanish Paella recipes and Andalucian recipes outdoors....

So why this blog? Well, we are a couple passionate about all things Spain and her food. We also run our online Spanish delicatessen "Orce Serrano Hams" and in our spare time love to cook both indoors and out. In this blog we will be writing all about the famous Spanish paella as well as some other authentic Spanish recipes cooked over the barbeque or as we say..."La Brasa!"

Updates will be as and when the recipes come, which should be quite often!

Adios for now and remember to bookmark us for forthcoming paella dishes!

Spanish Paella

2009-03-10T09:04:00.000-07:00

The paella is certainly Spain’s most favourite dish, it encompasses all that is Spanish, the colour, passion, variety, enthusiasm for food and social warmth of the Spanish people.

Originally a poor man’s dish, the now world famous paella has fame with each region, town, village and even household creating their own versions of this gastronomic phenomenon. There are many exciting paella competitions all over the regions of Spain ranging from the biggest to the best tasting and each region has its own dedicated ‘Paella Day’ in Barcelona it is a Thursday, in Andalucia it is a Friday although traditionally it was Spain’s very own Sunday dinner.

An insight into Spanish Paella...

The origin of paella can be traced to the region of Valencia in south eastern Spain where rice is extensively grown, without which there would be no paella! The traditional and original ‘paella valenciana’ contained apart from rice, chicken, pork or rabbit and whatever vegetables could be found in the countryside such as tomatoes and peppers. It was traditionally cooked by the workers out in the fields using whatever was to hand at the time to combine with the rice in order to make a satisfying, nutritious meal to sustain the workers for their day of work.

Since its humble beginnings, the paella has adapted and blossomed and can contain a whole host of ingredients including seafood, different meats and other local specialities such as chorizo, Serrano ham or purely vegetables. It is because of the contrasts of the country, the people and the variety within Spain that the ancient paella dish has evolved from being a cheap means of feeding many people to a beautiful, exciting social dish steeped in tradition.

Read the full article HERE