TOP 6 recipes with photos of paella cooking according to the classic recipe, with seafood, chicken, mushrooms, vegetables. Secrets, subtleties and tips. Video recipes.
Paella is the national dish and pride of Spain. Traditionally, the dish is made with saffron-tinted rice and olive oil. Classic paella includes 6-7 types of fish and seafood. These can be mussels, cuttlefish, sea bass, shrimp, crayfish and other sea reptiles. It also contains vegetables, chicken, white wine, herbs and spices. In some parts of Spain, a bean or bean dish is prepared. At home, Ipana paella is cooked over an open fire so that the dish absorbs the aromatic smoke, which will give it a unique taste. However, today in different cuisines of the world there are many different options for its preparation. For example, paella with rabbit meat, pork, snails, Jerusalem artichoke, vegetarian with mushrooms. There are recipes for black paella with the addition of cuttlefish, which gives off the "ink", thanks to which the dish takes on an intense black color.
How to cook paella - the subtleties and secrets of cooking
- 90% of paella cooking success is the right choice of rice. Spanish chefs make rice paella called calasparra or bomba. If not, opt for white, round, and non-steamed rice. Suitable varieties are "Arborio", "Kalasparra", "Bomba", "Bahia". There is rice on which manufacturers make a special mark on the packaging - "rice for paella". But the main thing is not to use long grain rice.
- Do not salt rice: Spanish chefs say that salted rice will become sticky.
- If the paella is multicomponent, it is necessary to follow the order in which the products are placed, taking into account their cooking time. First, vegetables are sautéed, then chicken or seafood is fried, rice is poured last and the dish is left to languish.
- Paella requires a wide pan with thick sides and bottom. In Spain, this type of frying pan is called "paellera". A wide frying pan is necessary so that the processed products are moved to the sides, and in the center, in the vacant space, put the following.
- The key to real paella is saffron, which gives the rice a yellow hue. But this spice is considered the most expensive, so it can be replaced with other spices that give a similar taste and color. This is turmeric or safflower.
- The base for the paella flavor is provided by sofrito. For this, garlic, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers are fried until the flavors combine and all the liquid evaporates. The finished sofrito has a fairly thick consistency.
- If using meat, deep fry it. Insufficient roasting is a common mistake made by cooks for fear of burning.
- Pour paella with concentrated fish, vegetable or meat broth or saffron water.
- When the rice is poured over with liquid, the paella is no longer interfered with so that the rice swells evenly. It is only permissible to shake the container periodically. If the liquid boils away, add it, so always keep some hot water or broth on hand.
- Cooking the rice takes about 20 minutes. It doesn't have to be soft.
- A valuable part of the dish is the crispy Socarrat that forms on the bottom of the paella. For sorrakat, turn up the heat for the last few minutes of cooking. In this case, the rice should make a cracking sound, but the smell should not smell burnt.
- Leave the finished paella to steep. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and let simmer for 10 minutes so that the dish is saturated with all the flavors.
- Serving paella does not require any special delicacies. Usually it is served directly in the saucepan in which it was cooked. Each guest is given a triangle-shaped marking, and if this does not work out, then they use plates.
Paella with seafood
After reading and familiarizing yourself with dozens of tips, preparing paella with seafood will not be difficult. You know at what point to add broth, turn down or turn up the heat, and much more.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 364 kcal.
- Servings - 10
- Cooking time - 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- Rice - 150 g
- Olive oil - 50 ml
- Squid - 250 g
- Chorizo - 150 g
- Chicken breast - 350 g
- Boiled-frozen shrimps without shell - 250 g
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Fresh red pepper - 1 pc.
- Bulb onions - 1 pc.
- Mussels in shells - 350 g
- Dry white wine - 250 ml
- Green beans - 250 g
- White fish - 250 g
- Turmeric - 10 g
- Chicken broth - 150 ml
Cooking Paella with Seafood:
- In a saucepan, cook the turmeric rice in salted water and pat dry.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the onions, chopped into small cubes. Pass it until soft.
- Cut the chicken into small pieces, send to the onion and cook for 4 minutes over medium heat.
- Send chopped garlic, red pepper, chorizo and beans, chopped into 2-3 pieces, to the food. Cook the food for 5 minutes.
- Add chopped fish, shrimp with mussels to the vegetables and simmer for 8 minutes.
- Pour everything over with wine and broth, boil and simmer for 1 minute.
- Heat the olive oil in a clean skillet, add the sliced squid rings and cook for 45 seconds.
- Sprinkle boiled rice with squid with the rest of the ingredients.
- Sprinkle the seafood paella, stir and serve immediately.
Paella with squid
In the birthplace of paella in the city of Valencia, this dish was originally prepared from rabbit meat. But paella with squid in Spain has become no less in demand because of its amazing taste.
Ingredients:
- Rice - 500 g
- Peeled squids - 700 g
- Saffron - 0.25 tsp
- Tomatoes - 1 pc.
- Cherry tomatoes - a handful
- Green sweet pepper - 1 pc.
- Bulb onions - 1 pc.
- Garlic - 3 cloves
- Sherry dry - 100 ml
- Fish broth - 800 ml
- Ground zira - 0.25 tsp
- Dried oregano - 0.5 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp or to taste
- Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- Hot red pepper - 0.25 tsp
Cooking Paella with Squid:
- Cut the squid into rings and finely chop the tentacles. Sprinkle them with salt and black pepper.
- Finely chop the onions and garlic.
- Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the seed box and finely chop the pulp.
- Finely chop the tomato.
- Put the pan on high heat, add olive oil and heat.
- Reduce heat to medium, add onions, bell peppers and garlic to the pan.
- Cook vegetables, stirring constantly for 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 minutes on the same setting.
- Add washed rice and cook, stirring for 5-6 minutes.
- Pour in the sherry and boil.
- Put the squid along with all the spices and stir.
- Pour in hot broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cook paella for 25 minutes until rice is tender.
- Then, heat up to maximum for 1 minute and remove the squid paella from heat.
- After steeping, serve, garnish with the cherry tomatoes cut into quarters.
Summer light paella
If you have returned from Valencia, you know that, according to the old belief, it is correct to eat paella with a wooden spoon. At home, you can not follow this tradition and use it with a fork, which is much more convenient.
Ingredients:
- White onion - 1 pc.
- Red onion - 1 pc.
- Chives - 1 sprig
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Green beans - 2 handfuls
- Red chili pepper - pinch
- Red paprika - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - 0.5 tsp or to taste
- Salt - 1 tsp no slide or to taste
- Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Rice - 150 g
- Broth (vegetable or chicken) or water - 400 ml
- Olives - 10 pcs.
- Parsley - a bunch
Cooking summer light paella:
- White, red and green onions and garlic, peel, finely chop and sauté in oil in a skillet for 4 minutes.
- Cut the green beans into 3-4 pieces. Peel the bell peppers and cut into thin strips. Peel the tomatoes and cut into cubes. Add vegetables to the skillet.
- Season with hot red pepper, paprika, salt and freshly ground pepper and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the washed rice to the skillet and let sit for 5 minutes to saturate with the scented oil.
- Stir the food and pour in the hot broth. Leave to simmer until the rice is cooked at a slow simmer.
- Toss vegetables with rice, add olives and chopped parsley.
- Stir in summer paella and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Vegetarian paella with mushrooms
In the summer, you don't always want to eat heavy meat dishes, and even non-vegetarians. Vegetarian light paella will help you enjoy the taste of ripe vegetables and transport you to hot Spain to the Mediterranean coast.
Ingredients:
- Rice - 150 g
- Onions - 1 pc.
- Olive oil - 3 tablespoons
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
- Champignons - 200 g
- Green beans - 2 handfuls
- Chili pepper to taste
- Black pepper - to taste
- Paprika - 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Vegetable broth - 400 ml
- Parsley to taste
Cooking Vegetarian Paella:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
- Finely chop the onion and garlic and lightly fry.
- Add the mushrooms, cut into plates and continue frying for 5-7 minutes until the mushrooms release juice.
- Then add the washed rice, stir and add the broth after 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat and simmer the rice until the broth has evaporated.
- Peel the tomatoes and cut into cubes.
- Peel the bell pepper from the seed box and chop coarsely.
- Wash the green beans, cut off the ends and cut into 2-3 pieces of 2-2.5 cm each.
- Peel the chili pepper and chop it finely.
- Fry the tomatoes, bell peppers, green beans and chili peppers in a clean skillet for 8-10 minutes. At the end of cooking add ground paprika, black pepper and salt.
- Transfer the fried vegetables to a frying pan with rice, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and leave to stand for 10-15 minutes.
Vegetable paella
To turn an ordinary dinner into a strong family tradition and a small weekly celebration, gather all relatives and friends at one large table, treating them to fragrant vegetable paella, as a good half of Valencians do.
Ingredients:
- Rice - 150 g
- Eggplant - 0.5 pcs.
- White onion - 1 pc.
- Bulgarian pepper - 2 pcs.
- Tomatoes - 2 pcs.
- Olive oil - for frying
- Garlic - 4 cloves
- Greens (any) to taste
- Vegetable broth - 400 ml
- Turmeric - 1 tsp
- Sweet red paprika - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - to taste
- Salt - 1 tsp
Cooking Vegetable Paella:
- Peel and finely chop the onions and garlic.
- Wash, dry and cut the eggplants into medium-sized cubes.
- Peel the bell pepper from seeds, cut off the partitions and cut into strips.
- Peel the tomatoes and cut into cubes.
- Pour olive oil into a frying pan and put eggplant, onion and garlic. Fry food for 5-7 minutes.
- Add bell pepper, and after 3-4 minutes tomatoes. Stir and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Season vegetables with salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika and stir.
- Pour the washed rice into the skillet and cover everything with hot vegetable broth.
- Stir and simmer. Cook the food until the rice is done.
- Add chopped greens, stir and let sit for 15 minutes.
Paella with chicken
Real Valencian paella is made in the fresh air over a fire. But cooked paella with chicken at home on the stove is just as delicious. It is hearty, nutritious and long-lasting.
Ingredients:
- Rice - 400 g
- Chicken fillet -300 g
- Turkey fillet - 300 g
- Carrots - 1 pc.
- Olive oil - for frying
- Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- Green peas (fresh or frozen) - 100 g
- White wine - 1 tbsp
- Broth - 200 ml
- Turmeric - 1 tsp
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Parsley - a bunch
Cooking Chicken Paella:
- Cut the turkey and chicken fillets into cubes or strips. Heat oil in a skillet, turn high heat and brown the meat, stirring for about 5 minutes, until lightly browned.
- Peel the carrots, wash, cut into very thin strips and send to the pan with the meat. Add oil if necessary and fry over medium heat for 5 minutes until golden brown.
- Wash the rice and put in the pan.
- Then add tomato paste and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add green peas to the food, add dry wine and stir. Cook until alcohol evaporates.
- Then add turmeric, salt and broth to the dish.
- Stir the food, cover and simmer the chicken paella for 20 minutes.
- When the rice is ready, turn off the heat and leave the dish to infuse for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley before serving.
