A Short History of the Dish
Origin of the dish paella is a Mediterranean port in Spain, Valencia a rice producing area in the country. Paella however is originally farmer’s food, no seafood ingredients just meats of chicken, ducks, rabbits and snail then goes the rice or arroz. The word arroz by the way is neither a Latin nor a Spanish word, it is from the Moors. Arroz is a Moorish word, they were the ones who brought rice to Spain and parts of old Europe. We must remember that in 711 AD, Spain was conquered by the moors from Africa and was under Moorish rule for 800 years. In the 12th century, moors were driven out of Spain by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela. So the adding of seafood like shrimp, lobster, crabs, squid like what we know are variations from the original recipe which came probably when the dish was introduced at Valencia being on the Spanish coast. It is only natural that by adaptation whatever produce a region has will be taken into consideration and be used as ingredients for dishes that will be cooked. The Italian version has sausages added into this recipe. The Saffron will always be there, a very expensive spice amounting from 2,000 to 10,000 USD per pound. 90% of the worlds produce comes from Iran.
BTW, paella is the name of the pan where the dish is cooked, again, here comes origins and then evolution. How it comes to this, as the name of the dish paella again is a myth. A paella pan is a thick bottomed shallow pan the old ones were made from cast iron. The Italian Paella pan is very large some of them measuring some four to six feet in diameter. The cook use a long mixing stick to stir the ingredients.
Arroz Valenciana
This dish is known to me ever since I was a child, my Aunt Nena cook this dish in her special clay wok, when it broke due to long use, she used a heavy cast iron wok. During those time aluminium or stainless woks is not yet known.
Arroz Valenciana could have been brought by the Spaniards to our coast during their stay here in our country for 400 years. Because there is diversity and abundance of different ingredients in our country, the dish have much more compared to Spanish and Italian paella. The saffron was substituted with kasubha. Saffron is derived from the saffron crocus, kasubha comes from the Carthamus tinctorius or, as it is more commonly known, safflower. Kasubha is commonly used asone of the toppings for congee.
The recipe that follows is not of my own, however the next dish called Arroz Valenciana comes from my own cookbook.
Visit their page below where you can read more even the history of the dish paella.
Seafood Paella
http://www.kitchenproject.com/history/Paella/Recipes/Seafood-Paella/index.htm
Ingredients:
2 cups short grain rice often called pearl rice.
(Traditionalists use Calaspara or Bomba rice )
1 / 4 lb Chorizo, or a good smoked sausage
1 / 2 lb large prawns
1 lb small steamer clams
1 lb mussels
1 cup chopped Spanish onion
1 head of garlic cut and blanched in water
1 cup canned plum tomato
2 tablespoons Spanish paprika (smoked paprika if you have it)
2 pinches saffron
1 / 4 cup fresh parsley chopped
4 cups seafood or chicken stock
1 / 4 cup Olive oil for saute
Marinate the Saffron 1 / 2 cup of the stock for 10 minutes or so.
If you can find smoked Spanish paprika use it. Make sure it is fairly fresh, not 3 years old.
Brown the slices of Chorizo or smoked sausage. There is even low fat turkey sausage you can use to cut down on calories.
This is Spanish Bomba rice. In most grocery stores they have a short grain or Pearl rice which works also.
Here are the ingredients assembled. I blanched the garlic in boiling water for a few minutes so the cloves would slice out and then chopped them. the sharpness of the garlic is much less when blanched also, otherwise use about half the amount.
1. Saute the onions in the olive oil in a Paella pan or a shallow frying pan.
2. Add the rice and saute for another minute.
3. Add the parsley, paprika, tomatoes and cook for another minute.
4. Add the stock and saffron with the water, and bring to a simmer.
Cook for 15 mim – 20 minutes or until the rice is almost tender. Do not over cook the rice or it will mush.
5. Add the prawns and simmer for 3 minutes.
Then add the mussels and clams and simmer for till they open.
You may want to cover with foil so there is enough heat around the mussels and clams.
Top with chopped parsley and serve with lemon wedges
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