Seafood Paella: Cooking Class in Spain

Paella is a typical Spanish dish traditionally cooked in a "paellera," a round flat pan with two handles, from which it can be served at the table. Paella is a Catalan word, which derives from the Old French word paelle for pan, which in turn originates from the Latin word patella for pan. The people of Moorish Spain often made casseroles of rice, fish and spices for family gatherings and religious feasts, thus establishing the custom of eating rice in Spain. Rice became a staple by the 15th century when Spanish Catholics expelled the Muslims. The original paella was not considered a seafood dish, but had meats from farm and field, such as chicken, rabbit and pork. Occasionally, snails were added. Later, it became customary for cooks to combine the rice with vegetables, beans and dry cod, providing an acceptable meal for Lent. Seafood paella now predominates along Spain's eastern coast, particularly near Barcelona.

There are as many recipes for paella as there are cooks. In Valencia, where the dish is said to originate, families pride themselves in handing down their particular recipe for the dish. But, whatever the variations, it is certain that one ingredient will never be found in paella: pasta! The Catalans are loath to dilute their traditions with those of the Italians. Their local seafood, meat, rice and vegetables with scant spices and olive oil are customary.

Paella is a very flexible dish. If you don't have the exact ingredients in this recipe, you can substitute any shellfish or fish you like as long as it's fresh, not canned.  Fish stock instead of water to increases flavor.

What isn't flexible in the making of paella? The pan and method of cooking are key to its success. I tried paella in Dallas before our lessons in Spain and realized that the right pan makes all the difference.  It really does need to be the traditional wide, shallow, and thin paellera. My wide and shallow cast iron skillet didn't work very well.

The other secret is preparing all of the seafood in advance so that you can control the amount of liquid, as needed, taking care not to over-saturate the rice. One more tip is to seal the starch by cooking the raw rice in olive oil without liquid until it's opaque, before adding to the sofrito of already sautéed vegetables and broth.

This recipe serves at least 10 people, so have a paella making party. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for several days.

PAELLA RECIPE

1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 large tomatoes or pint of plum tomatoes, diced 
1/2 lb calamari (squid) cleaned and sliced into rings 
3 cups medium or short grain rice 
6-8 cups homemade seafood broth 
1 large pinch saffron 
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 1/2 lbs raw mussels in shell (frozen or fresh) (pre-steam)
1 lb small clams (frozen or fresh) (pre-sautéed)
1 lb. chopped in medium-sized cubes fresh firm mild white fish like halibut (pre-sautéed)
1 1/2 lbs raw shrimp, medium or large  (pre-sautéed with shell on)
1 red and 1 green pepper, seeded and diced 
1/2 cup Olive Oil, sea salt to taste.

* The exact quantity of rice will depend on the size of the pan, so have at least 2 lb of rice on hand.

Method: Prepare all seafood in advance by steam and sauté methods. It takes roughly a pound of each to fill a large paella pan. Make a seafood broth from shrimp heads, onions, garlic and bay leaves; cover with water and boil for at least thirty minutes; remove debris. Steam mussels in white wine and lemon juice. Cook until they open and then remove. Sauté clams, prawns, and whole, deep-water shrimp in shells in olive oil until cooked. Allow to  drain and cool on paper towels on a platter. Then sauté the chopped cuttlefish, calamari, baby calamari, and fresh fish or other choices in rotating batches; drain broth and use to deglaze pan. Allow fish to cool in a bowl until ready to fold into the paella.

Cooking the Paella:  Heat oil in a paella pan

Add whole yellow onion and sauté.
Add garlic to onion and sauté.
Add 1 whole green and 1 whole red pepper, chopped, and sauté
Add 1 lb. chopped fresh tomatoes and parsley and sauté.
In a separate pan, sauté 2-3 cups uncooked rice in 1/4 olive oil until almost toasted (white, opaque)
Add rice to the sofrito of sautéed vegetables in the paella pan and then add at least 2 cups of broth
Continue stirring and adding broth until rice is cooked, slightly al dente
Add saffron 
Add cooked white fish, clams, cuttlefish (if used) and calamari to cooked rice.

Add more broth, cook for few minutes until all is heated well. Get ready to serve.

Serving: Place the cooked shrimp, mussels, lobster or any shellfish used in concentric patterns atop the paella before taking to the table.

Our paella dinner was cooked by Ramurnes, the chef provided with the Masia (castle). It began with a gazpacho, followed by a mixed green salad including 'rocket' and tomatoes stuffed with sweet Gorgonzola cheese, all drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Paella was the centerpiece of the meal with a flan for dessert. The wines we paired are pictured below, but a nice sangria (recipe in our earlier blog) or beer also pair well with paella. Catalan crema is often served at the end of meals here. We will give the recipe for this incredibly light 'crème brûlée' style dessert in a later blog. For more photos of the food, wine, and architecture of the Catalan region, click on this link and stroll with us through all of the Spain blogs at Stephen B. Chambers Architects, Inc.