Traditional Spanish gastronomy is predominantly a mélange of flavors. Akin to its cultural diversity, culinary style in Spain varies from region to region. But there is one dish called Paella Rice that unites and divides its people alike. Traditionally, this dish is rice and French beans, but now there are more Paella recipes than there are stars in the sky. And, the combinations of foods that can make up Paella are endless. According to food historians, this traditional Spanish cuisine symbolizes the amalgamation of two important cultures ie, Roman and Arabic. And every sub-cuisine has its own unique take on dishes. Some might be piquant, others less, but they are all colourful and enticing. Both these cultures have their own unique take on dishes. In this blog, we have discussed a few interesting facts about this dish:
Paella doesn’t comprise an overload of ingredients
Meat, seafood, and vegetables justify their place in this dish. But overloading these ingredients can make it ugly. These overwrought rice dishes may look impressive on the table but they taste terrible. Besides this, it’s important to use the right variety of Spanish rice, Bomba being the most suitable option.
paella rice
A true Paella pan is wide, round, and shallow
Paella Rice should always be cooked in the right pan, which is ideally very thin, plain and made up of enameled steel. Being wide, round, and shallow, this type of pan ensures that the rice is cooked in a thin layer. The key is to maximize the amount of rice touching the bottom of the pan.
A sauté of aromatics, called the sofrito, provides the flavor base
The components of the sofrito used in Paella vary by region, tomato, onion, and garlic are the most common ingredients. Apart from them, some chefs use paprika, herbs, or a dried sweet red pepper called ñora. The techniques involved in adding aromatic flavors to Paella is simple i.e., sautéing the vegetables over low or medium heat until they soften, the flavors meld, and the water from the tomato has evaporated. Then, sofrito is made, stirred in the rice, and the saffron-infused liquid is added.
Tradition aside, you’re allowed to be creative
Purists insist that an ideal Paella should contain chicken or rabbit, green beans, snails, and fresh lima beans. However, in our opinion, if you don’t like any of these ingredients, you can skip or replace it with any other item. And, once you learn the techniques of cooking this dish, you can customize it as per your taste.
Paella Variations
There’s no limit to the ingredients that can be used in a Paella. According to the combination of ingredients used in it, Paella can be prepared in these five variations:
Seafood Paella-If you love to eat shrimp, scallops, calamari, and sea molasses, add them to your Paella dish. It will be best enjoyed with alioli (the Spanish version of aioli).
Vegetable Paella- Your Paella should not necessarily contain meat. Sauté some green vegetables like peppers, beans, cauliflower, and artichokes; make a sofrito of tomato and parsley. This combination is best for vegans.
Sausage and chickpea Paella- Try using chorizo sausage, red peppers, a whole head of garlic, and cooked chickpeas; make a sofrito of garlic, tomato, and paprika and add the chickpeas with the rice.
Hope you liked reading this blog. If you are craving for this Paella rice dish, then look no forward than placing an order with us. Our team of Spanish chefs has expertise in preparing healthy and tasty food that is cooked by using the right ingredients.
