What Goes Into A Traditional Paella?

Paella is possibly the best-known dish to come out of Spain and you can find countless variations of this rice-based meal being served up in homes and restaurants, not only across Spain, but all over the world.

But if you want to make an authentic paella, what ingredients should you start with? Paella originated in Valencia, where traditional ingredients include snails and rabbit.

There are many other paella recipes out there now, and different Spanish regions have come up with their own take on this dish, with seafood paella probably one of the best-known and most popular variations.

If you’re planning to whip up your own paella, you need to make sure that you not only have the right ingredients, but also the right equipment. Buying paella pans in the UK is a good idea, because without them you’re unlikely to get the crust on the bottom of the rice, which is what makes the dish a “true” paella.

Chef Pedro Salillas, of OD Barcelona, recently told USA Today what’s required to make an authentic paella, so once you’ve got your pans sorted you will also need to pick up the following items before you start cooking.

The focus in this recipe is on seafood, so you need shrimp, prawns, crab, lobster and clams, as well as a host of vegetables – artichoke, peas and courgette for the paella itself and onions, leeks, carrots and tomatoes to go into the broth along with the shrimp, prawns and crab. Don’t forget about your authentic paella rice too.