PAELLA VALENCIANA
Ingredients (4-6 people): 600 grams rice (short grain) Half a chicken in pieces 2 artichokes 2 medium-sized red peppers 2 mature tomatoes Black pepper Garlic Parsley A strand of saffron Olive oil (one glass, about 1/4 litre) 1/2 lemon A sprig eacho of rosemary and thyme Salt
Steps: 1: Fry the chicken in some olive oil. Put the browned chicken pieces into a pan with 8 glasses of water, and bring to the boil. Leave simmering for half an hour. 2. Cut the artichokes and red pepper and fry them. 3: Fry the tomato and garlic in olive oil in the large paellera (special paella pan), then add the rice, stir for a minute and then add the chicken, chicken stock (there should be 6 glasses), artichokes, red peppers, the juice of half a lemon, black pepper, parsley, thyme, rosemary, the saffrón strands (grind them first. If you haven't got a grinder, use Colorante which you'll find in the spice and herbs racks in supermarkets) and salt. 4: Once all the ingredients are in the paella pan, turn the heat up to maximum and boil for about 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and leave to simmer for another 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, the liquid should have evaporated. Turn off the heat, and leave to stand for five minutes. If possible cover while it is standing (many Spaniards use paper to cover the pan).
Other versions: There are literally hundreds of paella recipies. You can use fish stock and fish or vegetable stock and vegetables instead of chicken meat and stock. Check out this recipe for paella sent to us by Angus Wallace.
Spanish omelette (Tortilla Española) Ingredients (for 3 people): 4 eggs 1/2 kilo potatoes Olive oil (one glass, or 1/4 litre) Salt
Steps: 1: Wash and cut the potatoes into thin slices. Heat the oil in the pan, and add the potatoes and salt. Fry, stirring occasionally. Tip: If you prefer the potatoes to be soft, use a spatula to mash them as they are frying. As soon as they are a golden colour, remove from the pan and put the potato mixture either in a sieve or on kitchen paper, so that as much oil as possible drains away or is absorbed. 2: Beat the eggs well with a pinch of salt, and add to the potatoes. Mix well. 3: Put two small spoonfuls of olive oil in the frying pan, so that the bottom of the pan is covered with a thin layer of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the potato and egg mixture. Tip: shake the pan gently as you move the mixture, so that none sticks to the bottom. Once the omelette seems to be cooked, use the lid of the frying pan (or a large plate) to tip the omelette out of the pan, add a little more oil and slide the omelette in again, this time putting the less cooked side first into the pan. If you need to repeat this step, so that the omelette is perfectly cooked and golden on both sides, you may do so. This omelette is delicious hot or cold.
Other versions: -Spanish omelette with onion and potato: the process is the same. All you have to do is cut two onions into thin slices, and add them to the oil just after adding the potatoes. -Spanish omelette with almost anything: other ingredients Spaniards sometimes use in their omlette recipies include ham, cheese, mushrooms, artichokes, spinach, chorizo...