Paella is a traditional, colorful, Spanish dish which has been loved by families for generations. It is especially good for feeding large gatherings of people as well as using up a variety of ingredients that may have otherwise gone to waste. It’s a real party pleaser that everyone can get stuck into. It’s also a versatile recipe that can be changed to suit ingredients you have in your cupboards or need to be used up.
Ingredients for an authentic paella are:
– Tiger prawns, mussels, monkfish and squid
– A quality fish stock and white wine
– Onion, broad beans, tomatoes
– A wedge of lemon and parsley for garnish
– Smoked paprika and saffron
– Olive oil and garlic
– Short-grain rice or risotto rice (depending on your preference)
– You can also add in various meats and use chicken stock rather than fish stock
The jury is out about paella, as some believe that it should have never been changed from the very first traditional Spanish recipes, whereas others and some modern chefs have enjoyed changing it around and adding in different ingredients. There has been an adaptation for children to encourage home cooking and healthy eating and for more advice check out a website such as http://kidshealth.org/en/parents/habits.html.
How to cook
– Heat the olive oil, cook the garlic and add the prawns and stock.
– Leave that simmering for around 30 minutes and return to add the monkfish, onion, smoked paprika, garlic and then add the tomatoes and wine.
– Turn the heat up and leave that for around 10 minutes before returning to add in the squid and broad beans.
– Add in the rice and give it a good stir then add the saffron and stock.
– Let this simmer for a good 10 minutes then arrange the tiger prawns, monkfish, and mussels on top of the dish. Continue cooking until the rice is cooked to your liking.
– Turn the heat off and arrange the lemon and parsley before serving.
For more inspiration and a variety of food recipes visit a website like Food-Tales.
There are all sorts of recipes for paella available online, in cookbooks, magazines, mobile and tablet apps and more, so it’s worth looking around to find an ideal recipe that works for your own family’s requirements.
