Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cooking. Show all posts

Saturday, October 22, 2016

The importance of being Paella

First of all we must say that "paella" is the name of the pan recipient (in Valenciano language/dialect), very similar to "padella" that means pan in Italian. In Spanish the word for pan is "sartén". However, if we refer to the round and flap one to make a paella, we would say "paella" or "paellera" (paellera is rather used out of the Valencia community, because in Valencia it would be referred to the woman who makes paella).
Most of people in Spain make a paella that it's not the Valenciana one. The tradition on the way of making the paella depends on the different mediterranean regions and what grandparents would make according to what the land and sea had to offer.

In my experience, the paella would have green and/or red peppers (and other vegs), no green beans as in Valencia; with only chicken, with chicken and seafood, or only with seafood (clams, prams, scampi, squid, mussels). A true paella must be done outdoors on wood fire; that way and with family or folks would be the ideal conditions.
We must say that the most important thing in a paella is rice. The vegs and chicken/seafood must be present accompanying the rice and not the contrary.
Surely someone from Valencia might say that only the Valenciana one can be called paella :) But the rest of Spain eat paella too!
Actually,
in every town, in every family, the paella is made in a specific way, with its personal touch.

PAELLA VALENCIANA


Ingredients it may have: garrofón (a big white bean that can only be found in the zone of Valencia), flat green bean, chicken, rabbit, tomato,
artichoke, saffron. It's optional adding snails. Some add also sweet papikra and/or garlic.
//www.abc.es/viajar/restaurantes/20140722/abci-wikipaella-recetas-201407211914.html



Video 1:
Chiva (Valencia) - Watch video, via España Directo
Video 2:
Chiva (Valencia) - Watch video, via Aquí la Tierra

OTHER PAELLAS


Ingredients it may have: chicken, seafood; green/red pepper, tomato, garlic (some prefer with onion),
artichoke, peas, saffron, sweet papikra.



Video 1:
Las Negras (Almería) - Watch video, via Aquí la Tierra
Video 2: Nerja (Málaga) - Watch video, via Aquí la Tierra
Video 3: Calasparra (Murcia) - Watch video, via España Directo

Note:

- The ingredients of Almería video are cuttlefish, red peppers, onion, red prawn, tomato, sweet paprika.
- The Nerja video takes place at the same beach and restaurant that appears in an episode of tv series Verano Azul (1981). The owner of the restaurant (in the video) appears also in that episode of the series.
- The Calasparra video shows several types of paella.


Other pictures:

- Paellas made on wood fire, via twitter
- Paella with seafood, via twitter
- Paella Valenciana made indoor (blog with pictures), via twitter