PAELLA'S RECIPE

PAELLA'S HISTORY

Is a rice dish, it is traditionally eaten on Sundays. The name paella is the word for "frying pan" in Valencian (from Latin patella).
Paella is usually garnished with vegetables and meat or seafood. The three main ingredients are rice, saffron, and olive oil.
The original paella was a poor man's fare, which is why it is made with a little of everything a person may have on hand in the kitchen. "Paella" is the name for frying pan in Valencian, although as popularity for this dish spread throughout Spain, the pan has come be known as the paellera.
Paella is a typical dish from the Valencia Region. This recipe is for the traditional paella Valenciana, which is where the dish was first created. But many different varieties of paella are enjoyed; for example, in some regions of Valencia paella is cooked using more seafood such as shrimp, mussels and clams.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g (1 lb.) chicken
• 500g (1 lb.) rabbit
• 480g (1 lb.) medium grain rice
• 350g (3/4 lb.) paella vegetables (green beans, red peppers and green peppers)
• 24 mussels (optional)
• 1.5 L (4 cups) of water
• Olive oil, salt, paprika, saffron

PROCEDURE

Clean the mussels, chicken and rabbit thoroughly. Cut the chicken and the rabbit in small pieces and salt them generously. Pour olive oil in a paellera and, when hot, quickly stir-fry the chicken and the rabbit pieces. When they have browned, add the vegetables and stir-fry til they reduce. Add a pinch of paprika and stir-fry for one or two minutes.
Before the paprika gets burnt, pour the water into the paella (you might find it best to pre-boil the water first). Add saffron and salt to taste. (If you've never used saffron before, start with a pinch, about 10 threads.) Bring everything to a rolling boil and let it bubble for about 10 minutes. Correct for the evaporation of the water by adding a little extra water as needed.
Add the rice and stir. Spread the rice over the pan (it should be less than 1 cm thick) and let it simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, Add the mussels if you are using them. and then reduce the heat to low and let simmer gently for a further 10 minutes. When the rice is almost dry, remove pan from the heat, and let the rice absorb the remaining liquid. Once the rice is dry the paella is ready to be served.