Photos courtesy of Don Pepe II Restaurant
No one really knows who we have to thank for designating March 27 to celebrate this classic Spanish dish, but to whoever you are, we say “¡Gracias!” for putting the accent on “Yay!” in paella. National Paella Day is upon us – vamos a la fiesta!
Paella, You Had Us At Hola!
From the time that farmers and farmhands of Spain’s Valencia region began firing it up for lunch centuries ago, paella has been muy popular ever since. Named for the wide, flat, shallow pan in which it is prepared, paella is a rice-based dish cooked over a hot fire. It originally contained a mixture of anything edible that could be caught or plucked from the ground, such as vegetables, rabbits and snails. (We’re guessing the snails were as challenging to catch as the vegetables.)
As the dish evolved, meats such as chicken and chorizo were added. Not to be outdone, seafood flexed its mussels, shrimp and clams, demanding inclusion; and new varieties of paella caught fire across the regions of Spain. As a “peasant” food, most any meat, fish or vegetable – whatever is accessible – can be mixed into paella.
Today, paella is synonymous with Spanish food, an enduring traditional dish that was by no means a flash in the pan.
Paella: It’s Simply Complicated
Like most art forms, cooking the perfect paella is a process that requires time and technique. The variations of “authentic” recipes presented by Señor Google are mucho, but each stays true to these basic yet precise elements:
- Avoid a Sticky Situation and Rice to the Occasion – The single most important ingredient, the foundation of a great paella, is rice; and it must be cooked to perfection. This means it must soak up the juices but still be dry enough for the grains to separate from each other. (Repeat after me: seco y separado).
- The Grain from Spain Comes Mainly on a Plane – Bomba rice, a short, rounded grain widely available in Spain but less accessible on the shelves of your neighborhood supermarket, is best. A suitable and more widely available substitute, if you are unable to find imported Bomba, is Arborio. Long grain rice is prohibido.
- Flavors to Savor – An aromatic base of sautéed vegetables called the sofrito and a liquid stock infused with saffron impart subtle flavor to the rice as it cooks. Don’t forget the paprika, chica!
- Turn the Heat Around – Don’t disturb the rice while it’s cooking. Instead, move the pan around over the flames to ensure even distribution of heat. Let your spoon rest!
- The Original Rice Crispy Treat – The ultimate prize in a perfectly prepared paella is the caramelized crust of rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan – the socarrat. It’s the ricing on the cake.
¡Comamos! (Let’s Eat!)
But if cooking it yourself seems un poco loco, leave the paella to the pros. No need to cross the ocean – in New Jersey you probably won’t even need to go far across town to find the authenticity you crave on National Paella Day (or any day). Visit one of Jersey’s outstanding Spanish restaurants, and you’ll find yourself asking, “¿Por favor, señor, ¿puedo comer un poco más?”
If you are muy confiado in your ability to produce a primo paella at home, invite your family and friends to gather around the pan to share this gift from Spain. Honor the tradition and forgo the plates, grab a wooden spoon and dig in todos juntos.
This article is sponsored by Don Pepe II Restaurant, located at 18 Old Bloomfield Ave., Pine Brook, NJ 07058.
For more information, call (973) 882-6757, or visit www.donpepeii.com.
Visit DON PEPE II RESTAURANT on March 27 — National Paella Day — and receive 20 percent off your paella entrée.
