Paellas, valencian

Although Valencian in origin, paella is often thought of as the most quintessential Spanish dish and no visit to Spain is complete without experiencing it at its best Paella may follow a traditional recipe, but it comes in many variations. If the ingredients are too diverse to single out individually it is simply called Paella mixta, a combination of rice cooked with seafood, chicken, chorizo — a type of spicy sausage — and vegetables in a saffron broth. Paella a la marinera combines rice with seafood, Paella a la Valencia is prepared with rabbit, snails and broad beans, while Paella huertana is a vegetarian version. Other rice-based dishes are simply called Arroz (rice) followed by the main ingredient such as chicken — Arroz con pollo — or flavored with squid ink — Arroz negro.

Paella is cooked in a wide, flat pan called a paellera, and is usually prepared for two people. Although Spaniards swear it is best eaten at lunch time, you won’t be making a culinary blunder is you choose it for your evening meal.

Arroz a banda is another classic dish with rice and seafood, but in this case the seafood is serve abanda, meaning apart. Saffron yellow rice cooked in the seafood stock is the first course; then comes the plain boiled seafood with a pot of ali-oli, lemon wedges and crusty bread. This is the traditional way of preparing, but you can find variations.

Try to avoid tourist-style restaurants which often have paella sitting ready cooked in the window. The best paellas are prepared according to centuries-old recipes and rushed straight from the kitchen to the table. As the Valencian saying goes: “Paella waits for no man”.

L'Albufera
La Barraca
Cañas y barro
Casa de Valencia
Champañería Gala
El Caldero
El Arrozal de Fleming
Formentor
La Paella de la Reina 39
Mediterráneo
Paella Real
St. James