History of Paella from Spain

History 
Paella is one of the most well known dishes from Spain and is seen as their national dish, though some Spaniards consider it to be a dish from the Valencia region. Paella takes its name from the wide, shallow pan its traditionally cooked in - paella means "frying pan" in Valencia. Its modern form is traced back to the 19th century in the rural area around the Albufera lagoon on the east coast of Spain. In Spain, rice became a staple in the 15th century and soon after, it became a staple to eat rice with vegetables, beans, cod, or other types of fish, which eventually turned into the modern Paella. 

Recipe

Prep Time: 8 min Cook Time: 20 min Total Time: 28 min

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken stock 
  
• 1 pinch saffron thread
• ½ lb shrimp, peeled and de-veined 
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 ½ cups arborio rice
• 14 ½ oz diced tomato, drained
• ½ lb mussels, scrubbed and debearded
• ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 ½ cups chorizo, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika

Instructions

1. Add the chicken stock to a microwave-safe liquid measuring cup and microwave on high power for 3 minutes. Stir in the saffron threads and set aside.
2. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper on both sides and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring, 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and paprika and cook, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until lightly toasted, 1 minute.
4. Add the tomatoes and reserved chicken stock and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid. Cook without stirring until the rice is al dente, 15 minutes.
5. Remove the lid and arrange the shrimp, mussels, and peas on top of the rice. Cover and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook until the shrimp are opaque and the mussels are open, 5 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
6. Remove the lid and pour the lemon juice over the paella. Sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of salt and the parsley and serve.
7. Serve.

Analysis

I really enjoyed researching more about Paella since it's such a staple dish in Spain. Since it's a seafood dish, I added octopus to my paella, but if you don't like seafood you could substitute it for chicken. I also recommend rubbing the meat with adobo seasoning and eating the dish with arroz amarillo. When I was in Spain, it was interesting to witness the various types of paella that were being prepared. In one Barcelona restaurant, we had chicken, seafood, and a vegetarian option that were brought to the table fresh in a giant iron skillet. Overall, the experience of eating paella is what is most important.