Paella

Paella ~ "A Catalan word which derives from the Old French word paelle for pan which in turn comes from the Latin word patella for pan as well. Patella is also akin to the modern French poêle, the Welsh padell, the Italian padella, the Old Spanish padilla, the Polish patelnia, and the New Mexican Spanish puela."

"There are three widely known types of paella: Valencian paella [Spanish: paella valenciana], seafood paella [Spanish: paella de marisco] and mixed paella [Spanish: paella mixta], but there are many others as well. Valencian paella consists of white rice, green vegetables, meat [rabbit, chicken, duck], land snails, beans and seasoning. Seafood paella replaces meat and snails with seafood and omits beans and green vegetables. Mixed paella is a free-style combination of meat, seafood, vegetables, and sometimes beans. Most paella chefs use calasparra or bomba rices for this dish. Other key ingredients include saffron and olive oil."

From The Grill Sergeants

Paella Recipe

1 1/2 qt. chicken stock* 1 pinch saffron salt, to taste 1 lb. chicken breast, diced 8 oz. Spanish chorizo sausage 3 oz. olive oil 3 oz. ea. red and green bell pepper, diced

3 oz. carrots, diced and blanched 2 oz. Spanish onion, diced 1 tbsp garlic, minced 20 oz. short grain Spanish rice 4 ea. mussels, clams, shrimp 3 oz. green peas 2 lemons

Simmer saffron with the chicken stock and reduce to 1 ¼ quarts. Season with salt. Cut chicken and chorizo into bite-sized cubes. Sauté with olive oil in a paella pan. Add peppers, onions, carrots, and garlic; sauté for about 3 minutes.

Add the rice and toss briefly. Pour in stock and bring to boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Arrange mussels, clams, shrimp, and peas over rice and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add the juice from one squeezed lemon, cover pan, and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve paella in the pan with lemon wedges. *Note: Add additional stock as necessary

Text Credits: Wikipedia The Grill Sergeants
Image Credit: Wikimedia