During my two months here, I have been lucky enough to have had home-made paella several times!
Paella is a very popular dish here and is usually what people think of when they think of Spain.
Paella has been described to me here as being “rice with things”. Rice with things. Thats pretty accurate. Here, they make rice and add what ever else they have in their kitchens and BOOM paella is born! ( channeling my inner Emerald there with that “Boom”. ).
I have had paella ranging from shell fish to chicken to squid ink to liver just to name a few. And someone has even offered to make me paella with rabbit…. but we’ll see about that.
Overall, they have all been good in their own ways. They are all very unique.
Pictured above: Paella with chicken wings, liver, artichoke hearts, and two types of beans.
Pictured above: Paella with muscles, clams, baby shrimp, prawns, calamari and scallops.
Pictured above: Paella with prawns, baby shrimp, calamari and squid. Cooked in the ink from a squid.
This dish is also referred to as Black Rice.
An interesting thing about this Paella / Black Rice is that you eat it with a giant blob of garlic mayonnaise aka Aioli. Ummmm…..?
To me, that sounded so unappealing. First, dip your fork into the Aioli and then scoop up some rice? It was definitely something I wouldn’t have done on my own. But while living in Spain I am trying to eat like the Spaniards.
I mean it wasn’t horrible….. but definitely interesting. It was just weird to me to think about how i was eating rice with mayonnaise but it was a memorable experience.
Overall, “Rice with things” is pretty good. And I am enjoying this whole experience!
Paella: 