paella valenciana
rating:Paella varies by family and region. This recipe is based on a Valencia paella which mixes fish and meat. The 'best' rice comes from the Valencia region, but any risotto rice will do. (Fat, short grain - not the long Bismati rice)
100 grammes "risotto" rice per person
1 onion - chopped (not strictly used in Valencia, but I like it!)
3 tomatoes - chopped
2 red peppers - de-seeded and chopped
Meat - chicken or rabbit
Vegetables - mushrooms, peas, garlic, bean shoots, etc
Herbs - parsley, tarragon, thyme, chervil
Fish - white fleshy fish, king prawns, squid, mussels etc
Saffron
I cheat and pre-cook the chicken by boiling it. Remove from the resulting bouillon and cut into at least a dozen pieces.
Measure twice as much liquid as rice into a jug ready for future use and put in the saffron.
In a paella dish (or wide bottomed frying pan) heat some olive oil and then fry the onion (optional), as it becomes translucent add the chopped tomatoes, and after a little while add the peppers (they go in last as they burn more easily).
Add the meat to cook for a while, then the vegetables and herbs.
Spread the rice over all so that it frys for a while, then 'decorate' with the fish and pour over the chicken stock.
Cook for about 25 minutes, until all the liquid is absorbed. DO NOT STIR.
Remove from heat and cover with newspaper for 5 minutes.
Serve.
(If you are going to go the whole hog you do not pre-cook the chicken, but add the jointed raw meat after the peppers and fry, without burning, then add the vegetables and then add water. Boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour to cook the meat. Then add the preprepared garlic, parsley, saffron, and fish. Spread over the rice and then add the last items to cook: prawns, mussels, and bouillon. Personally I find the first method given easier to measure the quantity of liquid.)
