Encyclopedia of Food and Cook by Margaret Fulton

Author:Margaret Fulton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hardie Grant Books
Published: 2013-03-21T16:00:00+00:00

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PAELLA

A traditional Spanish rice dish that has become famous all over the world. The ingredients, apart from rice flavoured with olive oil, onion, garlic and saffron, vary from region to region, and even from family to family. Paella from coastal regions usually contains seafood, poultry and a spicy Spanish sausage such as chorizo. Paella from inland Spain often contains meat, chicken, sausage and vegetables. Paella takes its name from the utensil in which it is cooked – a large two-handled, heavy frying pan – but it can be cooked successfully in any frying pan large enough to take all the ingredients. Use calasparra or arborio rice for preference. Paella makes an excellent buffet dish, and only a salad and dessert or cheese are needed to complete the meal.

PAELLA VALENCIANA

good pinch saffron, crumbled

1.25 litres (42 fl oz/5 cups) chicken stock

125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) olive oil

6 half-breasts of chicken, or 4 small pork chops, cut in half

2 onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped

990 g (2 lb 3 oz/4½ cups) short-grain rice

salt and freshly ground black pepper

250 g (9 oz) shelled fresh peas

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) cooked prawns (shrimp)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) squid, cleaned and sliced

1 chorizo or peperoni, sliced

3 tinned pimientos, drained and sliced

1 cooked crab or crayfish tail (optional)

1 lemon, quartered

Put saffron and stock into a large saucepan. Bring to the boil and allow stock to take on colour of saffron. Heat oil in either a paella pan or large frying pan. When very hot sauté chicken breasts or pork until golden-brown. Remove and add onions, garlic and tomatoes. When onions are softened, add rice, combine with other ingredients and fry for 3–5 minutes. Add stock mixture and season with salt and pepper. Spread rice evenly to the edge of the pan and return chicken or pork with peas. Cook over medium heat until rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid in the pan.

At this stage start decorating paella. Arrange chicken breasts or pork pieces to form a star in the centre. Add prawns, squid, slices of peperoni, strips of pimiento and lastly, if using, crab meat with legs and cracked claws, or crayfish tail cut in sections. Do not stir at this stage as the decorations are a feature of the paella and must not be disturbed. Continue cooking until rice is tender and other ingredients are cooked. If rice appears too dry or if foods don’t appear to be cooking sufficiently add a little more stock. Just before serving garnish with lemon quarters. Serves 8–10.

NOTE: The tiny squid tentacles make a pretty flower-like decoration in the paella.

PALM HEARTS

The pale, tender hearts of the cabbage palm. In many tropical climates these are available fresh. For visitors from more temperate climates who have a cabbage palm in the garden at home, it is intriguing to see these little palms cut down for the delicate, creamy white hearts that find their way to the table – each palm tree has but one heart!

Tinned

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