Paella Cooking Lesson! Let's go for it!

Paella Cooking Lesson

A Webheads Event for Tapped In Summer Carnival 2002

Webchef: Dafne Gonzalez

• Cultural notes.
• Origin of the word "paella"
• Pre-cooking Activities.
• Ingredients for Paella.
• Preparation.
• Post-cooking Activities.
• English-Spanish Glossary.
• A Note for Teachers.
• Lesson created with this page

Paella ?

Paella is a traditional dish of Valencia, Spain. But there are variations in the different Spanish provinces. It is a colorful mixture of saffron-flavored rice, meats (rabbit and/or chicken), and vegetables; olive oil is another fundamental ingredient. Paella’s name comes from the flat, round pan in which it is cooked. Traditionally, the paella is cooked outdoors, over a wood fire, and no plates are used for eating, that is, people use wooden spoons to eat from the paella (pan). During the celebration of Fallas, people prepare paellas in the streets, for the whole community. There are even contests to see who prepares the largest paella in town. In many other places, and even in Valencian restaurants, paella is prepared with seafood, but this is not the original paella which is a farm-related specialty. Of course, red wine is the ideal complement to this delicious Mediterranean dish.

This is how a paella looks like!

Back to Top

Pre-Cooking Activities

1. Cooking Tools: Check the tools which are necesary to prepare a paella.
2. Do you think that you know enough about paellas by now? Check your knowledge!

Paella Ingredients

Ingredients for 4-6 people

• Rice ( 4 to 5cups)

• Chicken cut in pieces ( 500 gr.- 1/4 pound)

• Rabbit cut in pieces (500gr.- 1/4 pound)

• Red bell peppers (2 large ones) cut lengthwise in 1-cm (1/2 inch)strips

• Green beans (500 grs- 1/4 pound).

• White beans (1 cup.).

• Tomatoes in very small pieces (20 tablespoons)

• Saffron (6-8 threads)

• Extra virgin olive oil (20 tablespoons)

• Artichokes: 2 cut in four pieces each. (already cooked)( during season)

• Water ( 12-14 cups)

• Salt to taste.

Back to Top

Put on your apron and let's prepare the paella!

1. Place the paella on the fire and add the olive oil.

2. Add the salt and move to mix it well with the oil.

   

3. Add the meat (chicken and rabbit) and distribute it with the spoon around the paella so that it fries well and takes the taste of the salt and the oil.

   

4. Add the green beans and remove well with the meat.

5. Add the red bell pepper and when it has cooked a little, take it out so that it doesn't burn

6. Next add the white beans.

7. Add the tomato and mix everything well.

   

8. Inmediately, add the water.

   

9. When it starts to boil (about 15 minutes approximately) add the saffron in threads.

   

10. Add the rice by cups.

    

11. The rice, once tossed into the paella, can be manipulated during the first five minutes with the spoon, then, no longer. This is the moment to maintain a high fire during five minutes, then it should be decreased. At this moment, arrange the red bell-peppers and artichokes, already cooked, on top of everything in a decorative style, trying to design a star.

12. Allow to cook between 20 and 30 minutes, until the water evaporates and the rice grows.

13. If you see that the rice grains are a little hard, cover it with newspaper for about 10 minutes so that it picks up the vapor finishing its correct cooking.

14. Our paella is ready to eat!

    

    Back to Top

    

    Post-Cooking Activities

    1. If you think you are ready to prepare a paella, check here!

    2. Now, you can sit down and take a rest, while you complete this crossword

    English-Spanish Glossary

    English	Spanish
    rice	arroz
    green beans	judías verdes
    white beans	alubias
    saffron	azafrán
    rabbit	conejo
    red pepper	pimentón
    tomatoes	tomates
    chicken	pollo
    olive oil	aceite de oliva
    water	agua

    

    Time for a toast, of course, with a cup of red wine!

    

    A Note for Teachers:You will find some ideas on how to use this lesson.

    Don't miss these two other cooking lessons:
    Teresa's delicious codfish, and Sus'famous Danish Pancakes

    Buthaina Othman, in Kuwait University, has found the origin of the word "paella". Check it out!, and come back to this page to keep learning about paella.

    Buthaina has also used this paella lesson in her classes. Look at the task she has designed.

    Look at the work prepared by Amina Hasan Abo-zeid, one of her students. Check activity 3 of her presentation.

    Back to Top

    

    Page created on July 9, 2002 by Dafne Gonzalez.
    Last update: January 26, 2003