Alas, after three very appetizing weeks, I’m moving on, but not without making paella. Of course paella! How could I leave Spain without making what some would consider the national dish?! Plus, my last region to hit, Valencia, is thought by many (especially Valencians) to be the birthplace of paella. In this case, Paella Valenciana was most definitely called for as I said adios to Spain.
In case you didn’t know, the name paella actually comes from the vessel in which it’s cooked, much like tagine. It’s a low, shallow pan of sorts, designed this way to ensure uniform cooking and also giving the resultant dish those signature delicious crispy rice bits that are scraped off the bottom of the pan- the ones that my friends and I surely fight over. However, because I don’t have a paella pan, I used my favorite trust do-anything deep skillet. While I missed the crispy bits, my dish didn’t suffer for it.
As soon as I stepped my first virtual foot in Spain, I’d been dreaming about the seafoody-goodness that awaited my belly at the end of my Spanish voyage, thinking back to the delicious paella I had when I stepped my first real foot in Barcelona back in 2005 . However, after doing my due diligence, I came to find out that when prepared the traditional Valencian way, paella does not contain seafood. What?! I know, my Florida-girl heart was broken. The source of this dire information came from a most trusted source, The Foods & Wine of Spain by Penelope Casas. It was an interesting read, and comprehensive look at Spanish food in general, and it made a very strong case for what the author considers the REAL paella. So there it was…no fish for me. Rather than stealing from the sea, Valencian paella utilizes all the produce and fruits of the area, the basics being snails, rabbit, green veggies, beans and short-grained Valencian rice. I could not find snails at my grocery store. Apparently – as it were- not local treasures from the Chicagoland area. As such, I added some shrimp as a swap. So, while my version here is more of a paella mixto and may not be what true Valencians consider paella, my conscience is clear since I have imparted to you the correct information. Do as I say, not as I do.
Paella Valenciana
January 13, 2013
: 4
: 1 hr 15 min
: Easy
Regional take on traditional Spanish paella, this paella valenciana recipe contains green beans, rabbit, shrimp, tomatoes and spices.
Ingredients
- 3 TB olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups short-grained brown rice
- 3 1/4 cups broth, warmed
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 1/2 tsp garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)
- 7 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1/2 rabbit (or 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs)
- 1/2 pound shrimp
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp saffron
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 lemon, juiced
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Step 2 Heat the oil in a large, deep oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute onions and peppers until soft, about 5 minutes. Move to the side of the pan.
- Step 3 Coat the rabbit (or chicken) pieces with the paprika. Fry until cooked, about 4 minutes on each side. Move to the side of the pan with the peppers.
- Step 4 Add the tomatoes and garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in the rice, saffron, stock and spices. Bring to a boil.
- Step 5 Cover the pan, place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. After that time, take out of the oven, stir the rice and add the green beans. Add back to the oven and leave in there until the rice is cooked, about 45 more minutes. Take out of the oven, add the peas and shrimp. Cover, and let sit about 10 minutes until seafood is cooked through. Add the lemon juice and give it a stir to mix it in thoroughly. Garnish with red pepper flakes.
