National Spanish Paella Day: Celebrate Spanish Culture with Food!

On March 27 we celebrate National Spanish Paella Day!

Many people consider paella to be the national dish of Spain, and it is filled with tradition!  It originated in Valencia on the east coast of Spain.  Originally, paella was considered a food for peasants because, during their breaks, workers used to prepare the dish in fields over an open fire.  Paella is a rice-based dish that gets its yellow color from the saffron in it. But, it can be made different ways.  Traditionally, aside from the rice, it is made with seafood, chicken, and peppers.  Paella derives its name from where it’s cooked.  It is cooked in a paellera–a special steel, large, flat, open round pan with handles. 

A Family Tradition

Although both of my parents are from Chile, my maternal great-grandparents hail from Spain. I even proudly hold dual citizenship in Spain. So, I fondly recall eating paella my whole life. I remember visiting my great-grandmother, Abuelita Lola, in Chile and joining her at the Spanish country club,  Estadio Español. Her thick Spanish accent always made me smile, and she was the proudest Spaniard, even living in Chile. She traveled to her motherland well into her 70s. Some years ago, I was lucky enough to once visit her childhood home in Asturias with her. Now, two paintings hang at the entrance of our home, one of her Spanish childhood home and one of my great-grandfather’s childhood home.  These paintings were a wedding gift to us, made by my grandfather’s cousin who still resides in Spain! Most importantly, they remind me of her and my heritage.

In short, I LOVE paella.  We have even hired a paella chef to cook it at our home various times, most recently for my son’s baptism.  It’s always a hit!

You can start a tradition at home too.

So, if you’d like to try your hand at some paella at home, here’s a great recipe my mom uses! It cooks on the stove alone but I listed a variation to finish it in the oven. During your cooking, bring your kiddos in to help you and share some quality time together. 

Recipe for Paella

This recipe yields about 6 to 8 servings. Total time is around 1 hr 45 mins.

Ingredients:

• • • 2 medium tomatoes (about 12 ounces)
    • 16 large shrimp (about 12 ounces), peeled and deveined
    • 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce)
    • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
    • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
    • 8 ounces Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
    • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, as needed
    • 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
    • 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
    • 1 large pinch saffron threads
    • 2 cups paella or Valencia rice or approximately 1 pound
    • 1 teaspoon salt, aside from what is used to season the shrimp and chicken
    • 4 cups or 1 quart low-sodium chicken broth
    • 16 mussels or clams, or use both, or your favorite shellfish, scrubbed and cleaned
    • 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
    • 2 medium lemons, cut into 8 wedges each, for garnish

Time to cook:

1. 1. Firstly, if you plan on using the oven method, heat oven to 400°F and prepare a middle rack. If not, continue to step 2.
   2. Core and halve the tomatoes. Grate the flesh side of each half on the large holes of a box grater set over a bowl, stop when you get to the skin and discard. Yields about 3/4 cup of tomato pulp and juice; set aside.
   3. Place the shrimp in a medium-sized bowl, add 1/4 teaspoon of the paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to mix and refrigerate.
   4. Place the chicken in a medium bowl and season generously with salt and pepper; set aside.
   5. Get out a paella pan (15 inches) or a wide, shallow skillet, just make sure that if you plan on finishing in the oven, the entire pan, even the handle, must be heat-safe. Place pan on two burners and heat over medium-high heat until hot, around 2 minutes. Next, add the chorizo to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has started to brown and the fat has rendered about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a large bowl, leave the fat in the pan, set aside.
   6. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil if there is not enough fat in the pan. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan in a single layer and sear, stirring occasionally, until both sides are golden brown, around 6 minutes total. (You will need to rotate the pan occasionally over the burners to evenly distribute the heat.) Transfer the chicken to the bowl with the chorizo, leaving behind all liquid in pan; set aside.
   7. Reduce the heat to medium. Add onion, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, around 5 minutes. Then add remaining 3/4 teaspoon paprika, the garlic, and saffron, stir to combine and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
   8. Add the reserved tomato pulp and juice and cook until the mixture has slightly darkened in color, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and measured salt and stir to coat the rice in the tomato mixture.
   9. Increase heat to medium-high. Add broth and stir to combine. Arrange rice mixture in an even layer. Distribute the reserved chorizo and chicken over the rice, adding any accumulated juices from the bowl. (Most importantly, resist all urges to stir the rice from here on out!)
   10. After that, bring to a simmer and continue to simmer, adjusting the heat as necessary and rotating the pan 90 degrees over the burners every few minutes, until the rice grains have swelled, most of the liquid has been absorbed, and the rice starts to make a crackling sound, approximately 10 minutes. Lay the shrimp on top after 10 minutes and turn them when they have become pink on the first side. Cook for another 8-10 minutes. Add a little more hot stock toward the end if the rice seems too dry and you hear crackly frying noises before it is done. When the rice is done, turn off the heat and cover the pan with a large piece of foil.
   11. Steam the mussels with a finger of water in a pan with a tight-fitting lid. As soon as they open, they are cooked. Discard any unopened shellfish.
       1. Variation in the oven: After cooking rice for approximately 12 minutes, remove from heat. Arrange the shrimp and shellfish (hinge-side down) in the rice, nestling them slightly. Then place the pan in the oven and bake until the shellfish have opened, the shrimp are just cooked through, and the rice is tender but still al dente, about 10 to 12 minutes.  
   12. Before serving the paella, sprinkle the dish with the parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.
   13. Enjoy!

You can always adjust the seafood/shellfish to what you have, what you like, or just keep it simple with shrimp and chicken.

Want paella without the fuss?

If you’re not looking to cook up a storm for National Spanish Paella Day, you’re not out of luck!  You can always take one easy route and buy Vigo’s Paella Valenciana.  This kit comes nearly ready in a box, preseasoned, and with seafood, just cook in a pot and garnish with more seafood, chorizo, or chicken!

In addition, we even have some lovely restaurants in Miami that are either Spanish or serve Spanish food. Some great restaurants to get paella are Bulla Gastrobar (and get some sangria), Versailles Restaurant, and Casa Juancho, to name a few! Because Miami is full of wonderful gastronomy, I’m sure there are plenty of others. Let me know if you have a favorite in the comments. Or, show us your paella from National Spanish Paella Day! Disfrútalo y salud! Enjoy and cheers!