Food & Wine

Here in Valencia, on Sundays, we like to eat Paella for lunch, we could call it a tradition. After eaten hundreds of them in my life, but cooked none, three years ago I decided it was about time to learn how to cook it. I've been the official Paella cook in my household since then, always with the priceless help of my lovely wife. 

The cook (me) with some fresh rosemary from the garden. 

Some green peppers and a tiny aubergine from the garden too, they are not ingredients of the Paella, we'll eat them this week though. 

Here is where the action begins. Always (if possible) use fresh ingredients, here we have some artichokes and two different kinds of beans (bajoqueta and rojet) from Valencia. 

Duck, chicken, and rabbit. Fresh grated tomato and garlic, with a little bit of salt for the "sofrito" (VERY important)

First, I cook the meat with extra virgin olive oil and salt.

When I like the way it looks, I take out the meat and put it on a plate (I don't know anybody else that does this, but I like it this way) next I add the green beans and the artichokes to the reamining oil with all the meat substance for a couple of minutes, then I move them to the edges of the pan so they don't cook anymore (because there is no fire there yet) and add the tomato till it's reduced (some sweet paprika is added during the process), then I add the meat and mix everything thoroughly. (sorry no pic of this)

Then the water is added. 

I let it boil for 30 min +/-

I like to use some turmeric, just a little bit. The fresh saffron will be added after the rice. 

Valencian rice. 

Here the rice has been added as well as the saffron. I like to put the rosemary on top. 

Et voilà! 

It was delicious!

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