Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe
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Loading... - benjamin square
- 17 Mar 2023
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Seafood Paella is probably the one dish most associated with Spain. It is also the most contentious dish to come from this beautiful country. The question – “What is a proper Paella?” – could be debated for hours over Spanish wine and tapas!
The Paella Pan
The word Paella is actually the word for the pan in which the rice dished is cooked. If you do not prepare your Paella in the appropriate pan, many Spaniards will argue it is not a real Paella. The dish is a wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook over an open fire. Paella actually translates to “frying pan” in Valencian – the dialect from Valencia.
History
This rice dish is originally from Valencia which is an autonomous region in southeast Spain. It sits on the Mediterranean coast and the capital is also called Valencia. It is the third largest city in Spain following Barcelona and Madrid.
The recipe of Valencian Paella, or Arroz a la Valenciana, was first noted in an 18th century manuscript. Even at this time, there were already guidelines on how to best prepare the dish.
Paella was discovered due to the need for an easy dish with local products that could be easily transported to the hardworking farmers and shepherds. The rice used for the Valencian Paella is called Senia Albufera rice. It is grown in the province of Valencia in large rice fields.
Seafood Paella
You can get creative with what ingredients you want in your own Paella. You may prefer a vegetarian or vegan version with fresh veggies, keep to the traditional Valencian meat choice of chicken and duck, or enjoy it with fresh seafood.
Anyone from Valencia would tell you a Seafood Paella is not an actual Paella as it is not prepared with the traditional meats. But, we are in Galicia which is a center for fresh seafood from the Atlantic. Thus, a Seafood Paella is by far the most popular Paella in Galicia and on the Camino de Santiago.
We are sharing our authentic Seafood Paella recipe from our Camino guide, Alex.
Ingredients:
3 garlic bulbs
1 small red pepper & 1 small green pepper
1 white onion
2 tomatoes
Fish Broth – Fumet if can you find it as it is a thicker broth (if you want to make it vegan, just use a vegetable broth instead)
Valencia Rice or any round rice
A good quality Olive Oil
White wine
2 tsp. Saffron
1 tsp. Sweet Paprika
2 Tbs tomate paste
Seafood (You can buy these fresh or frozen. Feel free to get creative with your selection, but we use the following):
- Squid
- Shrimp with the tails (Spaniards leave the head on as well and often enjoy sucking the juice out of the head when they are cooked…..to each its own!)
- Mussels
- Clams
