Spanish folklore offers a charming tale about the origin of Spain’s glorious national dish. Surprised by the unexpected visit of a royal princess, a country innkeeper was unprepared and unprovisioned. What dish could a commoner possibly concoct from the humble ingredients on hand that would please such a majesty?
In the kitchen, his clever wife quickly combined bits of this and that–snippets of vegetables, sausage and seafood–with saffrony yellow rice simmered in chicken and fish broth. “Pa’ella!” (which in Spanish means “for her”), she announced proudly, as she carried in the steaming pilaf with its topping of salmon pink shrimp and earthy green peas.
The tale might well be true, for nearly any seasonal vegetable will lend color and flavor to paella (pronounced pa-EH-ya). Along Spain’s extensive coast, chefs add seafood, while in the interior, chicken, pork, ham, sausage and beef are more available.
Food historians, however, point to Spain’s 800-year Arab heritage as a more likely source for the dish. It was the Arabs who introduced rice to Europe through their kingdoms in Andalusia and Sicily. The word paella may be derived from the Arabic root bakheya (pronounced ba-KHEH-ya), meaning “leftovers.”
Many cooks might consider paella too expensive and too troublesome to prepare at home.
But the dish relies as much on imagination and thriftiness as it does on the foundation of rice, saffron, chicken broth and olive oil-sauteed onions.
Traditionally, paella is prepared with a short-grain Spanish rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra, from the Valencia region. Italian short-grain rice, such as arborio (the type used to make risotto), also can be used. But you can substitute converted rice or any uncooked short-grain rice with adequate results.
In Spain, paella is made in a wide, shallow pan with two handles. But a skillet or other wide, flat pan would work nicely.
Saffron gives the dish its signature yellow hue and flavor. The spice is expensive, but a recipe that makes six servings calls for only 1/4 teaspoon. Turmeric also can be used for its yellow color.
Be creative
Beyond those basics, you can experiment with any type of meat, seafood or vegetables.
Paella a la Valencia bursts with the catch of the day, whatever it happens to be. To prepare this family favorite, I sometimes buy a can of clams in their flavorful juice and tiny quantities of a variety of seafood. Lobster, squid, shrimp and chunks of crisp grilled fish all work well as toppings for the rice.
More often, however, I prepare it the day after we’ve enjoyed a bouillabaisse or seafood-laced salad, planning to recycle the excess shrimp or squid.
A leftover length of cooked sausage or surplus broiled chicken breast may be cut into bite-size pieces and added 5 or 10 minutes before the dish is finished. Cubed smoked ham or turkey are equally delicious. Or you can slice the meat into ribbons, reheat it in a microwave and arrange it over the rice just before serving.
Your refrigerator may yield all sorts of treasures to add to the rice: leftover green beans, frozen peas or extra asparagus spears provide dramatic contrast.
Those last few artichoke hearts or bottoms lingering in a can produce authentic Iberian conditions, but a piece of bell pepper and a super-ripe tomato are inexpensive variations that are almost as delicious. Sliced fresh mushrooms harmonize nicely with meat and poultry.
Remember that canned foods or those that have already been cooled require only heating. These should be added to the rice at the end of cooking. Small quantities of raw meat or fresh vegetables must be mixed in with the boiling chicken broth to ensure they are fully cooked.
MIX AND MATCH PAELLA
Mediterranean paella is a dish made for leftovers. So once you have the basic ingredients in place, mix and match virtually any of the suggested seafoods, meats, vegetables and garnishes. All items should be cooked:
Basic ingredients: Rice, olive oil, onions, saffron
Seafood: Shrimp, squid (steamed), fresh clams, canned clams, octopus, mussels
Meats: Sausage, chicken, turkey, ham, pork
Vegetables: Onions, green beans, artichoke hearts, asparagus, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, pimientos, cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini
Garnishes: Peas, sliced pimiento-stuffed olives, seafood, sausage, chicken or meat
BASIC PAELLA
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Yield: 6 servings
6 chicken drumsticks or thighs
Salt, black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large ripe tomato, chopped
2 cups uncooked, short-grain or arborio rice
1 can (12 ounces) clams
Chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, optional
3 to 4 cleaned squid with tentacles ( 1/3 pound), sliced in 1/4-inch rings, or 1- 1 1/2 cups cubed cooked sausage or ham
1 1/2 cups chopped vegetables, optional
12 shrimp in the shell
12 mussels, optional
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives
1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper; brown on all sides in oil in a large, non-stick skillet or paella pan. Remove and set aside.
2. Cook onion in the same oil until transparent. Add garlic and tomato, cooking 2 minutes longer. Add rice; cook and stir until well coated.
3. Measure juice from clams, reserving clams. Add chicken broth to clam juice to make 4 cups liquid and pour over rice. Stir in salt and saffron; heat to a boil. Add chicken and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes.
4. Add reserved clams, squid or meat and 1 1/2 cups vegetables. Combine gently with the rice. Arrange chicken in appealing pattern. Cover and simmer over low heat 10 minutes.
5. While paella is cooking, boil shrimp in salted water until just barely pink, leaving them slightly undercooked. Arrange shrimp and mussels on surface of rice. Sprinkle peas and green olives on top. Cover and simmer 5 minutes more, until rice is done and mussels are open. Add more chicken broth as necessary. Discard any unopened mussels.
Nutrition information per serving:
Calories………….526 Fat………….12 g Cholesterol…….110 mg
Sodium……….1,522 mg
