Taste of Olney: Paella

Paella, a Spanish dish of saffron-flavored rice cooked with meats, seafood, and vegetables, takes its name from the paellera, the round flat pan with two handles in which it is cooked – usually out of doors over a wood fire. Paella, pronounced “pahay- ya,” originated from Valencia, where the Moors introduced rice crops more than 1,200 years ago. Traditionally, paella was the midday meal of farmers and laborers, who added whatever foods were close at hand in the countryside – snails, rabbit, duck and tomatoes, onions and beans – and ate it straight from the pan with wooden spoons.

Modern versions of paella are stuffed with assortments of seafood, sausages, and other meats, and just about any vegetables you have on hand. You’ll want to cook the paella until the rice at the bottom turns a little bit brown and crunchy.

We prepped and cooked our paella in about an hour over the stovetop in paellera- style pans we found at Cub Drug and Olney Floral, and it easily fed the two of us and three friends who came to taste our results.

We prepared paella with chicken and shrimp as our proteins but Stewart’s Food Store sells a Paella Mix Cooked Seafood Combo that will save time and add depth of flavor. You can choose your own veggies and proteins or omit meats altogether to create a vegetarian dish. Stewart’s sells all ingredients listed below, including a seasoned paella rice if you want to save even more time. Serve this rustic dish with a cool cucumber salad with vinaigrette dressing and crusty bread.

Suggested ingredients: 1 pkg chicken thighs 1 pkg Cooked Seafood Combo Paella Mix ½ red bell pepper, chopped ½ green bell pepper, chopped 1 small white onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 3 Roma tomatoes, diced 1 or 2 bay leaves 2 cups of long-grain rice 4 cups of chicken broth, low sodium or regular 1 pinch of saffron threads 1 tsp smoked paprika

¼ cup white wine (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste Fresh parsley

Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Serves: 4-6

Preparation Step 1: Sautee meats and/or seafood in olive oil until just cooked through and remove from pan.

Step 2: Sautee sautee garlic, onion, bell peppers until softened, about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.

Step 3: Stir in bay leaves, saffron and smoked paprika.

Step 4: Sprinkle rice evenly around the pan, then pour in wine and cook until the liquid reduces, a few minutes.

Step 5: Slowly add broth to pan and cook until it evaporates, about 20 minutes. Allow the rice in the bottom of the pan to brown to a crunchy crust.

Step 6: Remove from heat, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately from pan. Enjoy!

Paella is a Spanish dish of saffron-flavored rice, vegetables and meats or seafood that was eaten by laborers in Valencia. Photo by Gina Keating

Paella- styple pans are available at Cub Drug and Olney Floral. Photo by Gina Keating