It's Spain’s most famous national dish and its name comes from the pan in which it is cooked... the paella.

Paella is undoubtedly Spain’s most famous national dish. Originally from Valencia, the name paella actually refers to the pan in which this rice dish is cooked… and served. The three main ingredients are rice, saffron and olive oil.

Paella can vary from being a simple, rustic dish cooked in the open air and eaten straight from the pan, or it can be made into something quite elaborate. The important thing is to ensure even heat distribution, using a large burner or barbecue griddle. Once you add stock to the rice you cannot stir it but it must be able to cook evenly.

Spanish-Moroccan chef Aziz Bakalla shows us his version of this famous dish with freshly-made fish stock to flavour the rice. Using a huge paella – enough to feed about 20 people - Aziz quickly cooks the base ingredients of garlic and onion then adds a seafood banquet of crab, prawns, calamari, mussels, octopus, pippies and fish to saffron-infused rice. He also uses chicken pieces. (The original Valencian paella uses mixes seafood and meat – including rabbit!)

Once nearly done, the paella is removed from the heat and covered, left to absorb the remaining liquid. It should be allowed to develop a crisp crust underneath known as socorrat – everyone fights over this part!

Recipes:

Paella