Paella

Paella is a classic Spanish dish that every cooking enthusiast should try to prepare at least once. However, drawing inspiration from its rich palette of flavors and colors, I will suggest an “Italian style” variant. But let’s start with the classic paella recipe.

Ingredients

• 400 g of paella rice or Arborio rice (a good Italian substitute)
• 1 liter of fish or chicken broth
• Saffron
• 4 chicken thighs, halved
• 200 g of rabbit, cut into pieces (optional)
• 200 g of peeled prawns
• 200 g of mussels
• 200 g of squid, cut into rings
• 100 g of peas
• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 50 g of green beans, cut into pieces
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt

Preparation

1. Heat a paellera (or a large skillet) with extra virgin olive oil and brown the chicken and rabbit until golden. Then remove them and set aside.
2. In the same paellera, saute the minced garlic and then add the grated tomatoes, peppers, green beans, and peas. Cook for about 5 minutes.
3. Add the rice and toast it for a few minutes, stirring well with the vegetables.
4. Put the meat back in the pan and add the hot broth in which you have dissolved the saffron. Season with salt.
5. Add the seafood and cook over medium heat without stirring until the broth is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about 18-20 minutes.
6. In the last few minutes of cooking, add the rosemary.
7. Once cooked, let the paella rest covered with a kitchen towel for a few minutes before serving.

And now a little curiosity: Although the distinctive aroma of saffron is essential, in Italy it is not rare to find a paella that also uses our beloved local crocus stigmas – grown for example in the areas of San Gimignano or in Abruzzo – to give the dish the characteristic golden color and a unique flavor.

To pair the paella with a good wine, I suggest a fresh and fruity white, perhaps a Ligurian or Tuscan Vermentino, which with its acidity balances the richness of the dish well.