SOS PAELLA!

Some years ago I was having a few days off in Barcelona. I was with some friends of mine and we were having a great holiday there. Barcelona is a stunning city where you can find people and food from all over the world. One day we decided to have a walk along the Ramblas, the main and most popular avenues in the city, and suddenly we saw this building:

It was a big indoor market called “La Boquerìa”.

Have you ever found yourself, hungry and hot, in the middle of a blast of scents, tastes, juicy and colourful dishes and foods? I have. And I decided not to starve! The dish that rescued me was the traditional Spanish Paella. This is the way I was taught to cook it:

Ingredients
Herb Blend:

1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced


Paella:

1 cup water
1 teaspoon saffron threads
3 (16-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
8 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1/2 pound)
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 skinned, boned chicken thighs, cut in half
2 links Spanish chorizo sausage (about 6 1/2 ounces) or turkey kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 (4-ounce) slice prosciutto or 33%-less-sodium ham, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
3 large garlic cloves, minced
3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
1 cup frozen green peas
8 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Lemon wedges (optional)


Preparation

To prepare the herb blend, combine the first 4 ingredients, and set aside.

To prepare paella, combine water, saffron, and broth in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact; set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; saute 2 minutes on each side. Remove from pan. Add sausage and prosciutto; saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Add shrimp, and saute 2 minutes. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add onion and bell pepper; saute 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, paprika, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in herb blend, broth mixture, chicken, sausage mixture, and peas. Bring to a low boil; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mussels to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture, and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Glossary

A day off: a day when you don't work
Stunning: extremely beautiful
Blast: explosion
Scent: a pleasant natural smell
Taste: the flavour of something (es. chocolate has a good taste)
juicy: full of juice
dish: a container from which food can be served
to starve: if you say you are starving, it means you are hungry and you want to eat something
to cook: to prepare food
blend: a mixture of different things
cup:a small container with a handle that you use to drink tea
tablespoon: a large spoon used for measuring or serving food
can: a closed metal container used in which food or drink are sold (es. a can of coke) / in a recipe "can" is used to refer to the amount od food or drink that is contained in a can.
wedge: a piece of food in the shape of a triangle
to set aside: to save, to keep
pan: a round container used to cook food
saucepan: a deep pan with a handle and a lid
skillet: a frying pan
simmer: to cook something liquid at a temperature under boiling
to add: to put something with something else
to stir: to mix a liquid, usually with a spoon
to sprinke: to scatter liquid in drops
towel: a piece of paper or cloth used for drying something