Paella:
Paella (IPA: [pa'eʎa]) is an internationally known dish of white rice, meat, seafood, beans and vegetables (depending on the recipe) originating in the Spanish Autonomous Community of Valencia near lake Albufera, a lagoon in eastern Spain.[1]
The two most widely known types of paella are Valencian paella (Spanish: paella Valenciana) and seafood paella (Spanish: paella de marisco). Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. The varieties of rice used are usually Calasparra[2][3] or Bomba[3]. Other key ingredients include saffron, and olive oil.
This dish has gained considerable popularity throughout most of the Spanish-speaking world, including the Hispanic regions of the United States. It also enjoys moderate popularity throughout Western Europe.
[edit] Etymology
The word paella derives from the Latin word patella for pan. Patella is also akin to the French poêle, the Welsh padell, the Italian padella, the Old Spanish padilla and the New Mexican Spanish puela[4].
Valencians refer to both the dish and the specialized shallow pan in which it is cooked as paella. However, in most of Spain, the term paellera is more commonly used for the pan, though both terms are correct, as stated by the Real Academia Española. This pan is traditionally round and shallow, made of polished steel with two handles.[5]
[edit] History
The people of Al-Andalus often made casseroles of rice, fish and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts, thus establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain. This led to rice becoming a staple by the time the Catholics drove out the Muslims in the 15th century. Cooks combined rice with vegetables, beans and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent. Along the Spanish coast, fish always predominated with rice.
[edit] Valencian Paella
Paella Valenciana ( Spanish: Valencian paella) served in a paellera
On special occasions, 18th century Valencians used paelles to cook rice in the open air of their orchards with vegetables of the season along with chicken, rabbit, duck and snails. Later, social life became more active with the sociological changes of the 19th century in Spain, giving rise to reunions and outings in the countryside. This early rice dish evolved into Valencian paella where it was customary for men to do the cooking. In 1840, a local newspaper first used the phrase "Valencian paella" to refer to the recipe rather than the pan.[6]
The most widely used ingredient list of the 19th century version is as follows: short-grain white rice, butter beans, great northern beans, chicken, rabbit, snails, duck (optional), runner beans, artichoke (a substitute for green beans in the winter), tomatoes, fresh rosemary, salt, paprika, saffron, olive oil and water.[7] It's these ingredients that Valencians insist go into making Valencian paella.
Today, in the Valencian region, paella is popular as a spring and summer picnic dish and during the Falles.
[edit] Seafood and mixed paella
Paella de marisco ( Spanish: seafood paella)
Arroz negro ( Spanish: black rice) (also called paella negra), a seafood paella with squid ink
Coastal residents substituted seafood for meat and beans, thereby inventing seafood paella. Later Spaniards mixed seafood into the original Valencian recipe and mixed paella was born. This variation is however seen by most Valencian purist cooks with disdain.[8] As other cultures set out to make paella, the dish invariably acquired regional influences. Consequently, paella went from being a relatively simple dish of rice, beans, meat and green vegetables to including fresh seafood, meat, various types of sausage (the most popular being Spanish chorizo)[9][10], a wide range of vegetables and many different seasonings.[11] However, the most globally popular recipe is seafood paella.
In Spain, mixed paella is very popular. Some restaurants that serve this mixed version refer to it as Valencian paella but Valencians insist only the original Valencian recipe can bear the name paella valenciana.
[edit] International Paella
Paella has evolved into an international dish[12]. These international recipes include ingredients very different from paella's original Valencian version. Today, paella is well known in Australia[13][14], Asia (including the Philippines[15]), Latin America, the U.S., and West European coutries such as Portugal, Germany[16], Sweden[17], Norway[18] and Denmark[19].
[edit] Basic cooking methods
For recipes, see Wikibooks:Cookbook:Paella.
[edit] Valencian paella
This recipe is standardized because Valencians consider it traditional and very much part of their culture. Rice in Valencian paella is never braised in oil, as pilau, though the paella made further southwest of Valencia often is.[20][21]
- Heat oil.
- Sauté meat until golden brown.
- Add beans and green vegetables.
- Sauté until vegetables are soft.
- Add tomatoes and paprika.
- Sauté for about two more minutes.
- Add water and then snails.
- Boil for 30 minutes to make broth.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add rice and then saffron.
- Simmer until rice is cooked.
- Garnish with fresh rosemary.
[edit] Seafood paella and mixed paella
Cooking methods vary greatly because these recipes are derivations of Valencian paella. However, the following method is common to most of these. Seasoning depends greatly on individual preferences and regional influences. However, salt, saffron and garlic are almost always included.[22]
- Make seafood broth and infuse with saffron.
- Heat oil.
- Sauté meat until golden brown.
- Make sofrito by sautéing bell peppers, garlic, onions and tomatoes with meat.
- Sauté until vegetables are tender.
- Add seasoning except for salt.
- Add rice.
- Braise rice until covered with sofrito.
- Add saffron-infused broth.
- Add salt to taste.
- Add seafood.
- Simmer for 30 minutes or bake for 15 minutes.
- Garnish with additional seafood and/or vegetables.
[edit] For both recipes
Once the rice is nearly done, the paella is removed from the heat and left to absorb the remaining water. Paella usually has a crispy, caramelized, toasted bottom (called socarrat in Valencia but pegado in Latin America) that is considered a delicacy. There are two ways to achieve a socarrat: The first is to time the evaporation of the water properly with the completion of the rice; the second is to use a high flame while listening to the rice toast at the bottom of the pan. The chef then removes the paellera from the heat once the aroma of toasted rice wafts upwards. The paella then must sit for about five minutes before serving.
[edit] Competitions and records
It has become a custom[23] at mass gatherings in the Valencian Community (festivals, political campaigns, protests, etc.) to prepare enormous paellas, sometimes to win mention in the Guinness Book of World Records. Chefs use gargantuan paelles for these events.
Each year chefs from the region of Galicia compete for the title of "Paella King". The competition is held in a different town each year in that region.[citation needed]
Valencian restaurateur Juan Galbis and a team of helpers, made the world's largest paella on 2 October 2001 and then fed it to about 110,000 people according to Galbis's website.[24] This paella was even larger than Galbis's earlier world-record paella made on 8 March 1992 which fed about 100,000 people. Galbis's record-breaking 1992 paella is listed in Guinness[25]
[edit] Related dishes
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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