IMPORTERS OF THE FINEST LA MANCHA SPANISH SAFFRON (AZAFRAN)

THE PREFERRED PAELLA PAN MADE IN SPAIN  IMPORTER OF AUTHENTIC SPANISH PAELLA PANS

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Volume 2,  Issue 1

THE ONE DISH  PAELLA PARTY

Spain's most celebrated dish was first made among the huetas, or kitchen gardens, of Valencia nearly two centuries ago.  Field workers cooked rice outdoors over and open fire, adding whatever produce, snails, rabbit or chicken they could find in the countryside.  Eaten directly from the cooking pan with each diner using his own wooden spoon, paella was and is traditionally cooked by men and shared along with a bottle of red wine.

As paella's popularity has spread from its birthplace, it has been endlessly modified.  Today, every Spanish household has its own variation, from simple paella de verduras (all green vegetables) to paella Valenciana mixta (with meat, seafood, and vegetables)

Paella can take many exciting twists and turns as cooks take creative liberties.  Still, there are certain fundamental that should be adhered to for the dish to rightly earn the name paella.  What all paella have in common are the pan, the rice, and saffron.

Paella is named for the special wide shallow pan it is cooked in, called a paellera.  This two-handle pan is usually made of iron or steel and comes in many sizes.  The heat source must be nearly as large as the diameter of the pan, though, which limits most cooks to 12 to 14 inch pan that makes enough paella for four to six people.  For crowds, larger pans can be used on outdoor grills, open pit fires, freestanding portable gas burners, or in large wood-burning ovens.  The pan's unusual shape helps the rice achieve a texture characteristic of paella because the large surface area allows it to cook without steaming, resulting in a dry rice with separate, individual grains.

The type of rice used is also essential to true paella.  Only short-grain rice has the right starch content to absorb flavors while maintaining the desired chewiness.  The traditional Spanish rice grown in the costal area of Valencia since the ninth century, can be substituted with Italian Arborio rice or other short-grain rice.  The secret to perfect rice is to not overcook it.  Allow about 20 to 25 minutes from the moment the stock is added, and remove it from the heat when the liquid is absorbed but the rice remains slightly underdone; it will finish cooking as it rest before serving.

Paella's characteristic bright yellow color and distinctive flavor comes from saffron, the precious spice that is the dried stigmas of the summer blossoms of a small purple crocus.  It is expensive but only a pinch is needed.