Options to make paella a lot, but there are a number of clear rules: 1. Rice before cooking wash out. 2. Do not add rice to the pan until until it's all collected. (People will wait for rice, but the rice will not wait for people) 3. Rice not to interfere. 4. During cooking, the pan does not close.

The ideal method of cooking paella outdoors, over an open fire, with a sense of occasion. Spain cooking paella outdoors in General, it remains the prerogative of men. Guests gather around, ate green olives and almonds, passionately discuss politics and football, and constantly monitor the stages of the paella. When all assembled in the pan and added the rice and the cook shouts, "¡Veinte minutos!". Twenty minutes the paella is ready. In General the rice is cooked for exactly 18 minutes: 10 minutes on high heat and another 8 minutes on low until absorbed liquids. Then the paella is removed from the heat, cover and allow to rest for a few minutes before serving.

The main elements of the wide shallow paella pan, the rice absorbs the liquid (short grain white, such as Arborio, but in any case not long grain) and a good broth. On a Cup of rice is about 2 - 2 ½ cups of broth. The broth added to the rice hot.

The key to the taste of the paella is the Foundation – el sofrito (sofrito) – ingredients added in the beginning of cooking, which gives it flavor and texture, as well as the latest flavoring – la picada (pikada). Sofrito is the basis of almost all rice dishes in Spain. This is a fragrant stew of vegetables, which are added in a certain order and cook slowly, until a soft sweet base. It can include pepper, garlic, tomatoes, sometimes onions (but usually not for the paella). Sofrito is not to rush!

Sofrito begins the process of making paella, and pikada completes. Garlic, greens, nuts, and sometimes rabbit liver mixed in a mortar and mixed to the paella at the very end of cooking, combining all the flavors, giving the dish a brightness, color and texture.

Other important ingredients: olive oil (cold pressed, with a mild taste), saffron and sweet paprika. Paella can be fish, meat, vegetable or combined – there is a huge scope for imagination. Most often, the Spaniards added mushrooms, artichokes, green beans, snails, shrimp, cuttlefish, squid, mussels, rabbit, pork, chicken in various combinations. The following is a recipe of paella with seafood and meat Paella al estilo mar y tierra (paella style "Sea and earth"

1. In skillet, heat olive oil and sauté the slices of meat, shrimp and catfish 2 minutes on each side and remove to a plate.

2. For sofrito: in the juices from the meat and fish, to put out strips of green and red pepper.

3. From tomatoes to remove the skins, remove the seeds, chop them into cubes and add to the peppers, add salt and black pepper. Simmer over low heat, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, add a pinch of saffron and half teaspoon paprika.

4. Add rice to the pan.

5. Return the meat to the pan, add the peas, beans, a little salt and pepper and all mix thoroughly. Pour in the stock and cook for 10 minutes on a fairly high heat.

6. For picada: in a mortar or blender, chop the parsley with garlic.

7. Sprinkle the paella with a mixture of parsley with garlic. 8. After 10 minutes reduce the heat and put on a paella of mussels and clams, slightly utaplivaja them in rice. After another 4 minutes to put on paella prepared with shrimp and cuttlefish. Cook an additional 4 minutes. In total after adding rice paella is cooked for 18 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let paella rest for two minutes.