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The Secret to Preparing the Perfect Paella
According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English
Language, paella is a saffron-flavored dish made with varying
combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood. The
Dictionary also explains that in the Old French and Catalan
languages, paella means frying pan or pot. The traditional paella
pan is flat and of large diameter, it can also have handles on
each side.
In fact, paella is one of the most versatile dishes to make.
Paella also has the advantage of being great to clean out the
fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination
will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella
is a dish that is generally made to feed several people.
Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes
have had time to mix together and become stronger.
This article is not a recipe but rather an outline that describes
the three basic steps to follow to make a wonderful paella while
leaving the reader (the chef!) the latitude to be creative and to
make the dish their own by customizing it to their taste.
First the rice.
Select a type of rice that you are comfortable using. Feel free
to experiment but know that paella contains a lot of ingredients
and if you are unhappy with the end result with a particular type
of rice, you might end up with a lot of waste. Basmati, brown or
a mix with wild rice can add great taste and texture. Follow the
instructions on the package with regards to washing and cooking
the rice. Finely chop some onion, garlic and tomato. Heat a
saucepan and add olive oil once the saucepan is hot (make sure
that the oil does not start smoking. Burnt olive oil is
carcinogenic and quite unhealthy). Once the oil is hot, throw in
the uncooked rice. Frying uncooked rice gives it a nutty taste.
Let the rice fry in the saucepan for a minute or so. Add the
chopped onion, garlic and tomato until they soften, mixing
constantly. Spice with saffron, salt and pepper. Feel free to
experiment. Cumin, Cayenne various fine herbs or even a bit
cinnamon or cloves can easily be added for a flavoring of your
own. This mixture should not be on the stove for more that three
to five minutes. At high heat with constant mixing, none of the
ingredients should stick but they should mix well together and
soften. Once all the ingredients are combined, remove the
saucepan from the burner and mix in some frozen peas. Add enough
peas to make a well balanced mixture.
Second the meat.
In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper
thighs, drumsticks, breasts...it's all good. Do not cook the meat
completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat
aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.
Third combining it all.
Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice
mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked
Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and
fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but
make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some
chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will
reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover
the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until
the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or
muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.
In short, the secret to preparing the perfect paella is to make
it your own!
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