Basque Paella Rice

I’m just back from Spain. It was my first time there and the whole time I explored my new surroundings Elton John’s song

This post will tell the story of my chance to cook paella in San Sebastian with a Basque country native. Keep reading and I’ll share his great recipe with you.

Driving across Northern of Spain from Barcelona on the Mediterranean to San Sebastian on the Atlantic it was as though the highway cut a swath through wide open sky and countryside simultaneously. The sun-baked plains are dotted with regular rows of orange trees and the grey green plumage of olive groves. Grape vines stray from their trellises to wave hello. Wind turbines twirl with almighty fury while a myriad of panels tilt back and soak up solar power. We felt the sunshine, heat, and wind as we whisked along in a race with the revolving earth. And then our exit appeared and we turned a corner and were met with steep grey cliffs wearing lush green growth like a St. Paddy’s day hat. Down, down, down we plunged through the canyons to the blue, blue sea.

Totally Spain's Ultimate Guide To Spanish Paella

The eye is always happiest when it lands on green. It finds a little peace. Green means rains and rain means food will grow.

(I’ll write more about pintxos soon) bars to drool for. I’d arranged ahead of time to meet the best friend of a friend and I looked forward to the chance to spend time with a local.

Slim and fit we met Jesus and Ithaxoon were waiting on the appointed day outside the cathedral steps. We walked and talked about life in Basque country and toured the town from one end of its broad sea wall to the other. Evening fell and we explored favourite

Basque With Love Rice

Bars and had fun seeing how much we could eat and drink for 10 Euros per person. We spent another day hiking nearby cliffs and lunching on sardines and langoustines in an ancient village and then came the greatest moment for me – an invitation to come for lunch to learn how to make paella.

Bliss and joy – here’s an authentic Basque recipe for paella and photos of my lesson with my friend’s best friend and now my dear friend – Jesus.

Here are a few pointers. First read the recipe through and break it down. The dish will come together with was if you make your stock and sofrito a day ahead and refrigerate them until you need them. A sofrito is to Spanish cooking what celery, carrots and onions are to the base of most soups, stews and sauces in the classic French cooking that most North American culinary schools and cookbooks are based on. Use short grain rice; preferably from Valencia, Spain (this may be ordered online = in Alberta from The Cookbook Co Cooks in Calgary will mail it anywhere in the province). If you can’t find Valencian style arozzo substitute Italian arborio rice. Do not stir arborio rice as you would in a risotto as it will not achieve the intact texture of paella but instead turn to a creamy risotto as it is meant to be used for. Do not use basmati or long grain rice as they will break apart with this method.

Spanish Paella Cooking Class

Add the tomatoes and simmer over medium heat until the mixture becomes a thick paste – about 10 to 15 minutes then set aside.

Heat the oil in a large flat fry pan or paella pan and add the pieces of meat and sausage, browning them on all sides until done

Add the stock, wine and saffron and do not stir – instead leave the mixture to simmer at a constant bubble until all the liquid is absorbed, the rice is puffed up and the sauce is thick – about 10 minutes

The Basque Market

Now that you’ve read the method, you might feel a bit overwhelmed but if you follow along with the photos below you’ll see that the dish really does come together with ease once you’ve done all your prep work.

This post is dedicated to Jesus and Ithaxoon and their family. Thank you for the privilege and joy of cooking and sharing this lovely meal together and for all your time and caring attention when we visited.

And now, for those of you that’d like to close your eyes and drift away have a listen to Sir Elton John singing Daniel. He’s still right – Spain is pretty and I’ll add that its pretty tasty too. It’s a great place to

Easy Vegetable Paella Recipe

#IYP2016 Alberta Alberta at Noon Alberta beef Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance Alberta Food Tours Inc. appetizers art installation A Spicy Touch Avenue Magazine baking bread breakfast cakes calgary Calgary Food Tours Calgary Food Tours Inc. Canada cbc radio one City Palate magazine cookies desserts dinner easy recipes food artisans of alberta food tourism food tours food travel Hermione Sweet Sourdough Holiday recipes India Indus Travels Karen Anderson local food Noorbanu Nimji Paris recipes sadhguru salads side dishes snacks soups South India Succulent Paris sustainability Tourism Calgary Travel Travel Alberta Vegan vegetarianIn the May/June issue, on newsstands now, we turn our attention to Boise’s Basque community and its San Inazio Festival. Central to the story and the festival is the Basque Market where owner Tony Eiguren prepares paella on the store’s patio, luring diners with an irresistible aroma before captivating them with the colorful explosion of ingredients in the massive 5-foot-wide pan.

As contributor Drew Dodson reports in the article, “Each batch yields about 200 servings of paella, a rice dish consisting of Valencia rice, mussels, shrimp, chorizo, vegetables, chicken, garlic, and a host of other ingredients. Like many dishes, paella was adapted from Spanish culture before being molded into a Basque favorite through regional customs and personal preferences.”

“It’s beautiful, and it makes the meal an event, ” Eiguren says. Within 20 minutes, the heaping pan of paella is reduced to scraps, and Eiguren begins prepping to repeat the process.

Basque Paella Rice

(paella pan) or large sauté pan for 8 people,  heat oil and sauté onion on medium heat until golden (about 10 minutes). Add meat and peppers and sauté until meat is heated through. Add garlic, smoked paprika, and salt. Stir for 1 minute. Add rice. Mix until all grains are coated. Add wine and boil until almost dry. Add broth, stir, and bring to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for about 20 minutes. Nestle seafood into the rice and top with pimentos, green beans, and lemon wedges. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes more, adding additional broth if it becomes dry before the rice is cooked through. Simmer until all broth has been absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat and let paella rest for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with parsley.

(Note: When adjusting for more or less servings, you can usually figure about 4 people to each cup of raw rice and nearly 3

4 times the amount of broth as rice. If you cover your paella and place it in the oven to cook, you will need to reduce the amount of broth to 2 times the amount of rice. When paella is cooked completely on the stove top, you lose a fair amount of liquid in the broth to evaporation, which increases the intensity of the broth and, thus, of the paella.)

Chicken And Rabbit Paella Recipe

Reprinted and adapted with permission from Tony Eiguren, the Basque Market, in Boise, Idaho. For more information on the Basque Market, visit the shop’s website. To read the “Feasting Basque in Boise” Western Gourmet article, pick up the May/June 2019 issue.