What's in a traditional Paella?

Question

makin a traditional paella, want to know the original spices from spain!

Answer 1

Traditional Paella Recipe
Spanish Seafood




Ingredients:
For the sofrito:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup (1 medium) yellow onion, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup (1-pound can) seeded and chopped tomato
1 teaspoon each of dried thyme and basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 1/2 to 3-pound chicken, cut up
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons Spanish virgin olive oil
4 links Spanish Chorizo, cut into slices
4-1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron
3 cups long-grain rice
1 pound mussels, scrubbed well, beards removed and rinsed
1 cup fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Minced fresh cilantro, lemon wedges and red pimento strips for garnish




Directions:
Make the sofrito: In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and pepper, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, basil, cumin seed, bay leaf and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Set aside.

Pat dry the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. In a large deep ovenproof skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot. Add the chicken to the skillet, cook it for 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or until it is browned and transfer it to a plate. Add the chorizo to the skillet, cook it, tossing, until it is browned lightly, and transfer with a slotted spoon to the plate.

To assemble the paella: Preheat the oven 400 degrees. In a saucepan bring the broth to a simmer over modertaely high heat, add the saffron and let the mixture steep for 5 minutes. In a 14-inch paella pan or a large deep ovenproof skillet, arrange the rice, chicken, chorizo and sofrito. Add the prepared broth, bring the liquid to a simmer over high heat, stirring, and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Arrange the shellfish in the pan and bake the paella on the floor of the oven for 25 minutes. (Do not stir the paella during cooking. If the mixture becomes dry, add the additional broth.) Add the peas and bake the paella for 10 minutes more, or until the liquid is absorbed and the mussels have opened. Let the paella stand, covered with a dish towel, for 5 minutes before serving. Serve the paella in its dish garnished with the cilantro, lemon wedges and red pimento strips.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings
This is the traditional paella recipe. Substitutions won't work well. Make sure to use Spanish chorizo, not Mexican chorizo, which is a whole different thing. Some people substitute tumeric for saffron. It will not have the same taste.

Answer 2

Fish - Paella
serves 6
1 pint/600 ml mussels
1 pint/600 ml prawns
1 small cooked lobster
a few chicken livers
12 black olives
a few pieces of cooked white fish
1 garlic clove
12 oz/350 g rice
2 onions
4 tomatoes
2 red or green pimentos
olive oil
few crawfish or canned clams
little saffron

Heat the oil in a Paella or large iron frying pan, fry the sliced onions till golden, add the chopped garlic, pimentos, stoned olives and chicken livers.

Add the rice and fry until the oil is absorbed.

Add the lobster, clams, white fish, prawns, boiled mussels and tomatoes.

Add 1/2 pint/300 ml boiling water into which saffron has been dissolved.

Simmer over a low heat till the rice is tender. All the liquid should have been absorbed.

Serve immediately.

Answer 3

Ingredients 8 persons
-1/2 glass of olive oil
-2 cups of rice (short grain, not the vaporized variety)
-5 cups of fish broth
-250 g prawns (gambas)
-1 medium-sized squid (calamar)
-500 gr. clams, or 1000 gr. mussels (mejillones)
-1 slice of angler (or a similar fish)
-1 fresh green pepper
-1 red pepper (of the soft, canned variety)
-1 small can of green peas
-1 small onion
-2 fresh, ripe, small tomatoes
-A few saffron threads
-1/2 clove garlic
-Parsley
-Salt
Preparation

Put half of the oil to heat in a frying pan. When hot add the onion (minced) and five minutes later the tomatoes (in small chunks, unseeded and peeled). Leave for 5 minutes, crushing the tomatoes every now and then. Puree (with the potato masher), and add it to the 'paella' pan with the rest of the oil.

Meanwhile, in another saucepan put cold water, adding the spine of the fish and all the shells and heads of the prawns (that should have been peeled, put the tails apart). In a different (and covered) one put to boil the clams with a very small amount of water (they must have been thoroughly washed before, leaving them to rest in salted water); as soon as the clams open take the saucepan away from the fire, discarding the empty half of the shells. The water obtained from these saucepans (clams & prawns) will be strained (using a very thin tea strainer or a piece of white cloth) and saved.

Answer 4

there is no real typical Paella. a Paella is actually a rice dish and the spanish people add everything that they have left in the kitchen. Most people knows Paella with seafood. But a Paella could also be fixed with meat. Main ingredience is rice. My favorite one is from my spanish grandma. she fix it with seafood (crablegs, scampi, mussles,calamari) and she cooks it with the tint of the calamari so it looks real dark almost black. yummi

Answer 5

Paella spices (saffron and sweet paprika)

Answer 6

Saffron is the key ingredient. It's what gives it it's distinct flavor and color.

Answer 7

anything u want but mostly rice and spices

Answer 8

PHIL'S FAVORITE PAELLA (this recipe is made with shrimp, chicken,mussels, and sausage) 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast 1 lb. sausage 1 lb. med. shrimp 1/2 lb. sea scallops 20-30 mussels (raw in shell) 4 c. chicken broth 2 c. rice 4 garlic cloves 1 onion 1 green pepper 1 red pepper Olive oil 4 Goya "assafron" seasoning packets Parsley Frying pan Lg. covered pot Cut chicken into small cubes. Lightly brown with garlic in 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Put into large covered pot heated on low. In pan, fry onions and green and red pepper in 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add 1 lb. sausage and cook for 10 minutes. Add to large covered pot still heating on low. Fry 2 cups of rice in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5 minutes. Add to covered pot. Add 4 cups chicken broth to the pot. Add Coya seasoning packets and bring to a boil. Lower to low and simmer 10 minutes. Add shrimp and scallops and cook 10 minutes more (don't be afraid to stir concoction) or until all water is absorbed. Place in large serving bowl and garnish top with parsley and steamed mussels. PAELLA WITH SHRIMP 2 1/2 - 3 lb. chicken, cut up 1/2 c. olive oil (cannot be substituted) 2 med. chopped onions (white) 2 c. regular or long grain uncooked rice 4 c. chicken broth (I briefly boil the chicken with spices & save the broth, but chicken bouillon can be used to make broth) 2 tbsp. paprika 2 tbsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 1/4-1/2 tsp. turmeric 1/8-1/4 tsp. saffron (if out of saffron, turmeric can be used but it is not the same) 2 c. cleaned shrimp, about 1 1/2 lbs. fresh or frozen 1 lb. fish fillets, cubed (any white fish, haddock, pike or cod), raw 3 or 4 sm. lobster tails, briefly cooked, cleaned & cut up into bite size 1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen green peas 1 (15 oz. or 2 - 6 oz.) cans artichoke hearts, marinated, drained 2 (4 oz.) cans pimientos, diced I boil the chicken briefly with seasonings, salt, pepper, garlic salt and a little crushed red peppers. Drain the chicken and save the broth. On a big skillet put olive oil and heat, fry chicken until golden. In a non-stick big pot, lightly saute onions, add raw rice, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, saffron, turmeric, and chicken broth and mix well letting it cook at a medium heat, covered. About 20 minutes check the liquid content, if rice still feels hard and liquid is gone add more broth and cover to cook some more. When rice is done it should be fluffy and tender. In a big pan mix rice, peas, artichoke hearts, drained pimientos, (stirring as you add), raw cubed fish, shrimp, lobster and the pieces of chicken. Cover and let it bake, covered for 1/2 hour at 250 to 300 degrees or until thoroughly hot, and fish and peas are cooked. As you know sea food cooks quickly, so remember that when preparing shrimp and the lobster. Also you may want to bake just about 30 to 45 minutes prior to serving time so sea food maintains its form. NOTE: Sometimes if I don't have artichoke hearts, I substitute with can asparagus or hearts of palm. The asparagus I just add, but the hearts of palm have to be cut up into small pieces. PAELLA FOR FOUR 6 c. (1 1/2 mil.) water 4 chicken breasts 1 cube of soup bouillon 3 1/2 c. white med. grain rice 1 Polish smoked sausage, cut in cubes 1 can (16 oz.) Goya green pigeon peas 2 envelopes of Goya Sazon seasoning 1 can Goya Paella mix 1 can (4 oz.) Goya octopus in olive oil Place water, chicken and soup bouillon in 4 quart pressure cooker and pressure cook for 30 minutes. Cool down pressure cooker, remove lid and take out the chicken, but keep broth. Add the Sazon seasoning, rice, pigeon peas, paella mix and the cubes of Polish sausage to the broth inside the pressure cooker. Mix or gently stir for 15 seconds to blend ingredients. Place pressure cooker on stove, medium heat and loosely cover with a lid (do not pressure cook; use regular pot lid or aluminum foil. Cook at medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until rice is done. (Paella is best served moist, not dry!) Debone the chicken breasts and cut into small strips or chunks; discard olive oil from the octopus can and mix chicken and octopus into the cooked rice mix (do this very gently, and don't stir rice more than three ties or it will become pasty).

Answer 9

go to allrecipes.com!