By.. Margcata.
Paella is named after the pallera, a shallow round iron pan with 2 handles used to cook this classic rice dish. The translation is skillet rice and this dish can be prepared in an iron skillet or in earthenware clay. There are uncountable paellas, stemming from the high hill country of Valencia and Alicante provinces to the long coastline of the Mediterranean stretching from Costa Brava down to Alicante's Murcia's border ... The ingredients can include shellfish, mollusks, fish varieties, chicken, pork and rabbit plus vegetables and of course saffron threads and Valencian short grain rice.
This recipe is the paella served at Nou Moulin in Alicante City where well known chefs such as Quique Dacosta and the Adria Brothers chow down heartedly ...
SERVES 6 ...
500g chicken meat
250g lean pork
salt
120ml extra virgin olive oil
1 large tomato skinned, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped finely
two thirds sweet Spanish paprika * La Vera Pimenton
50g shelled fresh peas
300g short grained Valencian rice
6 cups of boiling water
black pepper
10 saffron threads
12 clams cleaned in shell
12 mussels cleaned and debearded in shell
12 small fresh squid cut into rings
12 large prawns
12 red small prawns
Several halved lemons
1. cut the chicken and pork into bit size chunks
2. season with salt and brown in olive oil in a large pallera
3. Add the tomato, garlic, paprika and stir on medium heat 2 mins.
4. add the peas and then the rice and cook briefly
5. add half the boiling water and cook until it is partially absorbed into the rice
6. crush the saffron threads with 2 tblsps of boiling water and add half to pallera
7. place the shellfish and the seafood on top of the rice
8. add remaining boiled water and cook until rice is tender
9. when the dish is done, the rice should be a bit chewy and tender
10. Stir the seafood into paella and serve in clay dishes with halved lemons and a drizzle
11. If u prefer the veggies more crisp as I do, add during last 5 minutes
Serve with baguette and white wine of choice or a Cava
