| Everybody who has visited Spain and more in | | | | there is a very good alternative for this which is |
| particular Valencia must have heard of the | | | | the double gas ring on a tripod with a bottle of |
| famous Paella a la Valenciana. But I think most | | | | gas. |
| people don't know where the paella comes from | | | | The most important points according my mother |
| and what it means. | | | | in law when preparing the paella are: the fire |
| First of all, paella is not exactly the dish but the | | | | below the paella pan must be the same on every |
| recipient this typical plate is cooked in. We all have | | | | part of the pan, you must be able to adjust the |
| seen the paella pan before when visiting Spain or | | | | fire in 2 rings an outer and an inner ring and the |
| browsing the net for paella recipes | | | | paella must be completely in balance so that when |
| The typical paella a la valenciana was "invented" in | | | | you add water the level should be the same |
| a small village called El Perelló close to the city | | | | everywhere on the paella pan. |
| of Valencia. The unique situation of the village | | | | Preparing the paella Valenciana |
| between a natural lake with sweet water and the | | | | Step one: 12 hours before starting to prepare the |
| sea provided to the habitants of the area all they | | | | paella put the garrofón (a type of bean |
| needed to make a complete dish with many of | | | | typical to Valencia) in water. |
| the most important vitamins and minerals in a | | | | Step 2: Put the olive oil in the pan and when the |
| balanced combination. | | | | oil is hot put in the chicken and rabbit and fry |
| With farmlands at hand where they grew rice and | | | | them until they have this golden look. We should |
| beans, the sea for shellfish and the lake for ducks | | | | try to distribute the pieces of meat evenly in the |
| together with their chickens gave the people of | | | | paella pan. |
| the area all they needed to make 2 different | | | | Step 3: Now we put in the different beans and |
| versions of the paella a la valenciana. | | | | the garrofón and fry them. If we want to |
| The first one is the paella made of meat. This | | | | add alcachofa (artichoke) we can add it now also. |
| paella is a combination of chicken and duck | | | | Make sure the fire is not very intense but neither |
| together with rice, lemon, olive oil, beans and | | | | to low. |
| saffron. But nowadays the duck is most of the | | | | Step 4: Add to the paella the red paprika powder |
| times substituted by rabbit which is a lot easier to | | | | and the natural tomato and mix them with the |
| get and cheaper. | | | | other ingredients. |
| This type of paella is still very popular amongst | | | | Step 5: After a few minutes we add water to |
| the people of Valencia and it is very common to | | | | the paella. This is another crucial step in preparing |
| hear people say: "Sunday I am going to eat paella | | | | a tasteful paella. If we add to much water, the |
| with my parents". | | | | paella will be to weak and if we add to little the |
| In the old days the paella was served in the paella | | | | rice will not be boiled sufficiently. But there is a |
| pan and all who joined in at the table ate from | | | | small insiders trick to know what the right level is. |
| the same pan with wooden spoons. Today most | | | | On the outside of the paella pan there are 2 grips |
| people prefer to have their portion on a plate. | | | | attached. They are attached to the pan with |
| Another typical paella was the one made of | | | | rivets who are clearly visible on the inside of the |
| seafood, Paella de marisco. This paella is made of | | | | pan. This is the level of the water that must be |
| rice and seafood. The used ingredients are: sepia, | | | | added. Don't add more or less water it will ruin |
| calamares, lobster, mejillón o clotxina, garlic, | | | | your paella. |
| lemon, rice, saffron, olive oil and beans ( octopus, | | | | Step 6: Put the fire intensity on high but not to |
| squid and mussel) Clotxina is a smaller variation of | | | | high. We leave the paella now boiling for 3 - 5 |
| the regular mussel. | | | | minutes and then we lower the intensity of the |
| The Recipe of the paella Valenciana | | | | fire to medium. Try the paella and if needed add |
| The quantities are /person | | | | salt to it. Leave the paella this way for about 13 - |
| - Chicken (150 grs.) | | | | 17 minutes depending on the type of rice you |
| - Rabit (150 grs.) | | | | used. |
| - Red paprika powder. | | | | Step 7: A step that is forgotten by most people, |
| - Saffron | | | | turn out the fire and cover the paella with kitchen |
| - 3 table spoons of natural tomato | | | | paper and leave the paella alone for another 5 - |
| - Green beans (70 grs.). | | | | 10 minutes. |
| - Garrofón (a type of bean typical to | | | | In the meanwhile cut a lemon in 4 and when the |
| Valencia (25 grs.) | | | | 5 or 10 minutes have passed you can put the |
| - Haricot bean (25 grs.). | | | | lemon on the outside of the paella. |
| - water | | | | Serve separately with onion (my father in law and |
| - Olive oil (5 table spoons). | | | | myself like to eat the paella with raw onion in one |
| - Rice (125 grs.) | | | | hand and the spoon in the other) |
| - Salt | | | | Preferred drink to go with the paella : a red wine |
| - If you like it: half artichoke | | | | from Valencia especially from the area of Utiel / |
| Preparing the ingredients and the paella pan | | | | Requena. (other Spanish wines will do also of |
| The traditional way to prepare a paella is on a | | | | course). |
| campfire but this is difficult to achieve at home so | | | | |