According to the late Penelope Casas, author of the original, definitive English-language cookbook on Spanish cuisine "The Foods & Wines of Spain", Paella is among the best known and most beloved dishes in the world. It transforms rice, the sustenance of at least half the world’s population, into a brilliantly complex and exceedingly baroque creation. Yet, according to Casas, what passes for paella in most restaurants outside of Spain is a sorry imitation of the true, glorious dish that originated in Valencia. For this event, we are going to pay respect to this wonderful Spanish creation with a complete Spanish menu, the centerpiece of which will be an authentic “Paella a la Valenciana”.
The most traditional way to prepare paella is outdoors over a wood-burning fire. This method provides the most even heat and produces the socarrat, the golden crust of rice that forms on the bottom of the paella pan and is considered the most desirable part of the paella. We will prepare ours this way, as my paella pan just happens to be a perfect fit for my Big Green Egg smoker/grill. Not only will it give us the even heat we need to form the socarrat but it will impart a delicious, slightly smokey flavor to the dish.
In addition to cooking our paella in the most authentic way, we will also be using the most authentic and highest quality ingredients, starting with the best and most expensive short grain rice for paella, "Bomba", grown in the eastern plains of Spain. We will be using the highest quality saffron, imported straight from a small family farm in Spain. Plus imported Spanish chorizo. Organic chicken. Live clams and mussels. And chemical-free shrimp and lobster tails.
Menu
