A Great Paella Begins With A Great Stock – Here’s How

Introduction

How would you like to taste a whole bunch of the best flavours of Spain in one bite? Well you can – with paella. A great paella looks spectacular – and tastes wonderful.

It’s often said that we eat with our eyes and, it’s true, its often the ingredients that we see in the dish – the prawns, the mussels, the squid, the chicken, or those super-fresh vegetables – that we think of as the stars of the show. But, like all stars, they need a great supporting cast to really shine.

And that’s where the stock you use for your paella is so important. We’re going to take a look at how to create a delicious paella stock – and, as a bonus, we’ll reveal some other dishes you can create using it, too.

Paella’s History

Like many great dishes, paella has its roots in peasant food, cooked over a campfire, using locally available ingredients – rice, meat and vegetables. The original stock for these early versions of paella was made using the leftovers of the previous day’s meal, to give the whole dish a fuller flavour.

Regional Variations

While paella originated in the Valencia region of eastern Spain, its popularity spread throughout Spain and beyond. Each region added its own special touch to the dish, with inland areas using meat, such as chicken, rabbit and snails, while coastal areas favour seafood – and that’s why most tourists and visitors to Spain are probably more familiar with the fishy versions of paella.

Creating the Stock

Naturally, you should always use the freshest ingredients you can. Depending on the style of paella you’re aiming for, a good base is a fish, chicken or vegetable stock and you can include onions, garlic, tomatoes, saffron threads, paprika, bay leaves, and olive oil.

Begin by heating the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and garlic and fry them gently until translucent. Now, add the tomatoes and fry until their juices are released, then add the fish, chicken or vegetables, saffron threads, paprika, and bay leaves.

Leave it all to simmer over a low heat for at least 30 minutes – the longer the better - to allow the flavours to develop and come together.

Where and When to Use Your Paella Stock

Now you have your flavour-filled stock, let’s look at how you can use it. Well, there’s paella, of course, but there are many other dishes you can use your paella stock.

Arroz caldoso is a similar dish to paella, made with rice, but it is more runny notquite a soup – often made with seafood, including shellfish.

Fideuà is a similar dish to paella, also from the Valencia region, but, instead of using rice, it uses short fideuà noodles and is often made with seafood and shellfish

Risotto – OK, not a Spanish dish but why not give it a lift with a Spanish twist?

But what if you’re in a hurry?

If you’re too busy to head for the shops for the ingredients, or to make your stock from scratch, we have you covered.

We have a ready-made paella stock you can keep in your store cupboards or, if you just want to ensure you have the perfect blend of herbs and spices to complement the style of paella you have in mind, you should try our three mixes - paellero seasoning mix, seafood seasoning mix, and Valencian paellero seasoning mix

They’re so good, no-one will ever know – and we won’t tell if you don’t!