Paella, an ancient seafood, belongs to the Spanish city of Valencia, and it became one of their identifying symbols.
Paella takes its name from a special wide, shallow pan used to cook the dish. Farmers and fishermen cooked it over an open fire. Notwithstanding, should you not possess Paella pan, you can use a large sturdy skillet one instead. In addition, when Arabs brought the rice to Valencia over 12 decades ago, this region had become one of the most important rice-producing areas in Spain. Therefore, Paella can be a union between Romans, for the special pan, and Arabs, for the rice.
Another interesting culture related to this food is, it's not served in plates; it served family style. People traditionally eat directly out of the pan on a round table.
As folks said, Valencia had plethora of crustaceans and shellfish. Most of people made seafood paella without any vegetables, but this rice dish sometimes embellished with seasonal vegetables like peas, artichokes, and peppers to name but a few. Pork, chicken, rabbit, snail and Spanish smoked sausages are used in several regions.
Today, wine and saffron is added in some special recipes that can improve the taste and flavor of this unique and delicious traditional food.
Instruction
- Pour 2.5 cups of a high quality fish broth in a skillet that is over medium-high heat. Pinch ½ teaspoon saffron threads. For infusing the saffron into the broth, it should boil for few minutes. Set aside.
- Add 4 minced garlic to ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil in a paella pan or a large sturdy skillet. Make sure it is over medium-high heat. In order to avoid burning, it must be mixed frequently.
- ½ a cup of canned tomato sauce and ½ teaspoon of sweet smoked Spanish paprika need to add to the fried garlic.
- Season them with cracked black pepper and sea salt according to your taste and combine them together until they become completely mixed up. It should cook for about one minute.
- Sprinkle a cup of round rice around the pan and mix them. Set aside.
- After one minute, add saffron-infused fish broth. Do not forget to shake the pan occasionally.
- Season 15 jumbo shrimps, which are patted down with some paper towels, with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- It is necessary to remove beards of fresh mussels and scrape of barnacles with something like butter knife or other utensil that you have before adding to mixture.
- Now it’s time to add the shrimps and fresh mussels to the pan. Set aside.
- 1You have to lower the heat, low medium heat, after two minutes, and let it simmer between 3-4 minutes.
- Now it needs to hit for 60-90 seconds over medium-high heat.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and let the rice, which is covered with aluminum foil, rest for 3-4 minutes.
- When it is uncovered, the things that are incredible to see are opened mussels.
- Some freshly chopped parsley and lemon wedges are good choices for the garnish.