Paella = The simple art of coals + olive oil + garlic + chicken legs + peppers & tomatoes + sausage & seafood + rice + saffron from spain's mediterranean coast. . . .
This week I attended a live performance of the Concierto de Aranjuez by the great Pablo Villegas. The piece of music is the most amazingly "Spanish" melody in the world, and maybe one of the more beautiful compositions in history. We sat outside under the summer moon in the canyon breeze in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains as Pablo Villegas executed his craft to perfection. The melody of Concierto de Aranjuez has always reminded me of sad but meaningful train rides through the hills of Spain. It's genius. It's art. It's life in Spain . . . So watch this!
What a patio for a paella, eh?! As reported by the NY TImes, this patio is part of a count's estate (originally built in the 14th century) on the outskirts of Barcelona that is currently on the market for $5.4 million. By the way, experts agree that the wooden ceiling beams are most likely original. If any of y'all buy this place, I'll make the paella . . . just send me the invite and i'll get it on my calendar.
I call this photo "Two Paellas in Teruel" (photo by Juanedc).
In an attempt to be open-minded, I am posting this "Korean Duck Paella" clip that went viral the other day. To be fair, this is NOT paella. Rather, it is just an interesting variation on the indisputable Spanish paella where this Korean restaurant cooks rice in duck fat (whereas Spaniards cook rice in pig fat, chicken fat, and seafood oil). If you're impatient, the rice part commences at 5:15. Enjoy.
If you spend enough time outside of Spain's bigger cities, you may happen upon an impromptu street paella like this one in Denia. Just throw down some sand, light some vine clippings, and you can make a paella on any street corner in Spain. It's a beautiful thing. (photo by Markus Galiano).
Paella prep (photo by Jermaine Hou).
With great care & attention, it is even possible to make paella in France . . . as shown by this beauty from Marseille (photo by Sebastian Bertrand).
Once in a while I'll happen upon a photo of Spain that simply screams "SPAIN" like this one taken in Navarra by Miguel Angel Garcia . . . and in my mind, I hum the Concierto de Aranjuez by Joquin Rodrigo. Viva Espana.
Another NPR dandy where Lauren Frayer visits a farm in Spain near Badajoz to visit Diego Labourdette and Eduardo Sousa (one a farmer, the other a migratory bird expert). These gents run a 1,200 acre farm where they make foie gras without shoving those cruel tubes down the geese's throats. Rather, the geese eat olives, figs, acorns, and seeds (think "free range geese"). Then the geese are slaughtered and their livers are seasoned & boiled. The farm's caretaker sings flamenco while the little foie gras jars (each $220) are sold. I love it. Give it a listen!
Paella should never be consumed without a good loaf of "French" bread. Look at the bottom of the bread to ensure that there aren't symmetrical dots . . . because those dots simply mean that the bread was frozen and heated up in a commercial oven. If the bottom of the bread is flat with varying degrees of color from the oven, then you've got a loaf that is fresh, handmade, and worthy of accompanying your paella (photo by Nic McPhee).
Perhaps the greenest paella I've ever seen (photo by Katja Schulz).
Perhaps the most forgotten, yet most relevant, "Paella Valenciana" ingredient . . .(photo by Gabriel Garcia Marengo).
The surrender of the seafood generally means the paella is ready . . . (photo by Abandholm)
Saffron (photo by Steven Jackson). Surely the most mystical of all of paella's ingredients, saffron comes from the Crocus Sativus flower. So saffron is actually the thread of the flower and must be harvested slowly, and patiently, by hand. And I'll issue two warnings here: (1) Saffron is expensive, and (2) cheap saffron is inevitably never actually saffron (but an imitation). You don't need much, just a pinch. I used to crumble the saffron with my fingers into the paella once I had poured in the stock. Now I always mash it up as fine as can be, and add it to the stock prior to adding the stock to the paella. It works better and eliminates the risk that the saffron blows away in the wind.
(One more hint: You can buy pretty good saffron on Amazon. Don't go cheap though, because the saffron will likely be fake).
(One more hint: You can buy pretty good saffron on Amazon. Don't go cheap though, because the saffron will likely be fake).
Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Look how simple this paella is . . . no frills, no bells, no whistles. None needed. (Photo by Alvaro Ibanez).
Besalu is one of the greatest towns I've visited in Spain. It's small, beautiful, and tucked into the hills. In this photo from Jorge Franganillo, these Catalan gents are cooking up what appears to be a paella (or alternatively, it could be chestnuts) on a cool autumn streetcorner.
I love Spaniards. In his pursuit to build a cathedral, Justo Gallego exhibits the same creativity & ingenuity that is applied to paellas all over Spain on a smaller, but not insignificant, scale. Life is art. Cheers to Justo!
It's the back end of July, and summer is getting hotter by the day. So sometimes it's nice to get away from the paella fire and sit on a wire on a wall somewhere in Calldetenes (photo by Marina del Castell).
Typical Tarragona Paella . . . (photo by Jorge Franganillo).
One has to assume that this door leads to a simple Mallorcan villa where a paella is simmering under the fig tree on the back patio . . . (photo by Andres Nieto Porras).
Is there anything more artistic than a close look at the heart of a paella . . . the rice? (photo by @susana_lo).
Here's a new one . . . "Paella Fried Rice" as featured in the Wall Street Journal by chef Jason Neroni. Admittedly, it's a cool idea because it's a spin on the socarrat (the crunchy & caramelized rice at the bottom of the pan). Is the paella subject to hipsterization & modernization?! Looks like it.
Some paellas have less rice than other ingredients (not that that's always a bad thing) (photo from jennicatpink).
Sometimes it's helpful to work up an appetite prior to having a paella . . . like running up the cathedral steps in sunny Burgos (Photo by Bindalfrodo).
Just an everyday miraculous paella from Valencia (photo by Claudio Lobos).
Paella Comprehensive Step #1 nearly completed (i.e. olive oil + garlic + onion + chicken legs).
The colors?! (Photo by Yosuke Shimizu).
When she's all done and dusted, you wash the paella pan, tilt it up to dry, and then line it with a bit of olive oil prior to hanging it up in the barn until next time . . .
Beautiful work from Marc Lozano in Barcelona . . . in the Parc Central Nou Barris.
All too often, we think of Spain as the land of cobblestone streets, cathedrals, cafes, fountains, & statues. But the reality is that there is a tremendous load of graffiti too. An unreal amount, to be clear. So one must learn to enjoy this different art form which manifests itself in the streets. (Photo taken by Cabezadeturco in Valencia).
This paella was made in Benidorm Spain and submitted by @Pintaroxo . . . and what's beautiful about it is the beautiful "film" or "light crust" that should exist on a finished paella. This is a result of NOT stirring the paella once the stock & rice have been added. I know it's difficult, but resist the temptation to stir!
@Craggle.Rock documenting his pretty serious experience with a lobster paella in the works in Benalmadena Spain.
Valencia hit the pages of the NY Times this weekend with the subtitle "Artistic and culinary innovation continue to transform every corner of this perpetually sunny city." This paella (photo by Stefano Buonamici) was enjoyed at the Restuarante Bon Aire. If you've never been to Valencia . . . then go.
I love a good street paella. Evidently, Torrent (a little town outside of Valencia) also loves a good street paella. Lay down some sand on the pavement. Throw some 2x4's under the pan, and get cooking. Not scenic. But it's still a paella made in Spain. (Photo from the Premsa Ajuntament de Torrent).
With the summer solstice upon us, it's nice to ponder the cooler corners of Spain where evening paellas require a jacket . . . like the shadows of the Iglesia de Santa Cruz de la Real de Caleao in Asturias (photo by Hernan Pinera).
Just a good old fashioned paella on the fire . . . just how it's supposed to be done.
Once in a while I come across a picture that is a dream locale to make an afternoon paella . . . just like this picture from Olot, Spain (by Cat Burston). Imagine setting up a makeshift fire in the shade off the patio and spending the evening cooking away. It's true that paella can be made anywhere, but it tastes better when your surrounded by the characteristics of Spain.
The mere fact that virtually all Spaniards have the same handwriting has always amazed me. If you wander into any bar, cafe, or restaurant anywhere in Spain, you'll see this exact handwriting enumerating that day's fare. Generally, the menu is written on a chalk board and changed daily as the available ingredients change. Surely, some expert has studied this phenomenon? (Photo by Ecodallaluna)
Paella has spread across Spain's borders in a drastic way in the last 15 years. By way of example, if you happen to find yourself in London's Covent Garden, have a look around for this paella stand called Hola Paella (photo by Edmund Gall).
This guy has the smile of a dude who is throwing kilos & kilos of shrimp into a monster paella in Valladolid (Angel Cartero).
The NYTimes ran article yesterday entitled Top Chefs & Local Farmers in Spain Regenerate Their "Green Caviar." These "tear peas" are so wonderful (but finicky) that they run for $100 a pound. Only 12 known people grow these peas in the Basque Country. And they're so delicate that they can't even be transported to Madrid (250 miles away). What ensues in the article is a debate on which pea in Spain is the greatest. Fascinating, albeit funny.
I'm currently knee deep into this novel by Maria Duenas. And by the way, "fusty" means stale, damp, or stuffy. And if you've ever lived in Spain, this description of Madrid's streets should ring true to you.
An evening well spent . . . (Katie Bordner in Salamanca)
With the massive floods in Europe, first things first for many residents (photo by Ahmed Meguini)
A close up paella's crucial moment. All the ingredients are in, and of course you want to give it a good stir, but DON'T STIR IT. It's blaspheme. Let it do its thing undisturbed.
Every so often, I see a photo of some corner of Spain that makes me think "I would love to spend an afternoon cutting vines and making paella right there!" This picture from Angela Llop does just that. This is Vilobi del Penedes in the hills of Eastern Spain. It's beautiful paella country.
From Jonathan Pincas . . . it's not all too often that you see rosemary with seafood when it comes to paella.
Super cool old school clip of how Spaniards used to make their paella pans. I doubt that many pans are made this way today, but I like to think that they are . . . (courtesy of our friends at WikiPaella.org).
@RicePaella calls this "arroz a banda tradicional de calamares." Whatever you call it, it looks good.
This paella was made (wait for it . . .) in Belgium by the mother of @AstridFlorizoone.
Y'all have probably noticed that I'm Barcelona-centric. Guilty. It's the greatest city in the world. And it has great paella. This picture is from @TheBarcelonist. Very well done indeed.
NPR is reporting that Spanish celebrity chef Jose Andres (admittedly, I'm a big fan) created two HUGE paellas in Washington DC using only fresh food items that had otherwise been thrown out in order to highlight the problem of food waste. It's a nice idea. And it fed 5,000 people?! (Photo credit Morgan McCloy & NPR).
A city wall somewhere in the mediterranean city of Tarragona (photo by Zaprittsky)
Another beautiful video from our friends at Wikipaella . . . This is chef Jesus Melero making his version of authentic paella valenciana. So simple. So beautiful. Notice that nothing is measured. It's all done by sight. Paella is a beautiful thing!
Paella salesmanship at its best (photo by Eric Pesik).