THERE’S NOTHING MORE SPANISH THAN PAELLA
classic Spanish rice with chicken
for two | 41
Paella Marinera
classic Spanish rice with seafood & shellfish
for two | 51
Originally a peasant dish from the country’s Valencia region. Traditionally, paella Valenciana typically includes rabbit, chicken, vegetables and beans, often flavoured with saffron and rosemary.
But in the same way that the Italian pizza evolved from flat breads baked on battle shields, to the status-protected, cheese and tomato Neapolitan pizza, the original paella recipe has been varied and adapted from region to region in Spain and now there’s passionate competition over which region makes the best paella.
Paella Valenciana and Paella Marinera on the Menu at El Pirata
There are even international paella competitions. World Paella Day in Valencia brings together chefs from many countries to show off their skills and creativity, and to compete for the prestigious World Paella Day Cup.
In coastal districts, seafood and shellfish have worked their way into the paella marinera but paella Valenciana remains the classic version – both are on the menu at El Pirata in Mayfair’s Down Street.
The paella Valenciana, with chicken and the paella marinera for two. You won’t go home hungry.
PAELLA VALENCIANA
Spain has a lot to thank the Moors for – not least paella. Moors from North Africa created elaborate irrigation systems to channel river water from the mountains into paddy fields where they grew rice. They’re also credited with bringing saffron to Spain, a spice that is integral to paellas.
Paella was a Workers Dish
Like Britain’s Cornish pasties and fish pies (scraps of fish eked out with milk and potatoes), paella was a workers’ dish born out of economic necessity. It was originally made over an open fire in the field, and there are still some purists who insist that an authentic paella should consist only of the original ingredients: rice, snails and green beans
PAELLA MARINERA
Amazingly for all those who thought rice came from South-east Asia, Lake Albufera south of Valencia includes 14,000 hectares of paddy fields – and rice has been grown in Spain for a thousand years.
Fields are fertilised in February and flooded in April after which rice seedlings are planted in straight lines by workers who move backwards to avoid treading on the new planting. In the summer, the fields are laboriously hoed and the harvest is in September.
Paella is a Must Try at El Pirata
All of the rice grown close to Valencia is organic, and there are several cultivars the best known of which are bomba (the paella rice you’re most likely to find in a UK supermarket), bahia and senia.
If you want to try Paella Valenciana it is on the menu at El Pirata, Mayfair’s neighbourhood tapas bar, and it’s served with chicken – not snails.
