PAELLA originated in Spain and was derived from a left over dish from Roman times.

It was developed and was popularised in Valencia where the Romans introduced irrigation and then the Arab conquerors that brought rice perfected it. Many folks say the best paella and most authentic still comes from Valencia.

The paella pan is characterised by being round with a flat bottom and can be anywhere from an LP record 12in in diameter to several feet. The one thing that doesn’t change is the height. It is about first joint in the thumb deep as the Spanish would say, so that the rice has maximum contact with the bottom of the pan. Paella traditionally is cooked over an open fire.

The Mediterranean is known for developing the art of frying, because of the lack of good slow burning firewood. The available branches were of high acid content that made a very hot fire.

Depending on the region in Spain, the meats and vegetables added to the paella vary. It can have several or no meats in it including rabbit, chicken, snails, Spanish smoked sausage like Chorizo and even hare.

Seafood for me is the most exciting part of a great paella — almost anything will do but most popular are prawns or crevettes, mussels, clams, lobster and crab, octopus and squid.

Fish can also be added but make sure it is added in later so it doesn’t break up. A good fish to use would be monkfish or gurnard or even hake.

To make paella, start by heating some extra virgin olive oil in a paella pan or a flat pan.

Sweat down some finely chopped onions (Spanish of course), and add some crushed garlic. Next, add a good glug of white wine and then the paella rice. Stir in the rice and add the stock, chicken or fish will do.

Then, like a risotto, keep adding the stock a little at a time. As you go along add the various meats and shellfish. The meats such as chicken and rabbit should be added before the shellfish as they take a bit longer to cook. Essential spices for paella are paprika and saffron, these should be added to enhance the flavour and give it a vibrant rich yellow colour. Don’t forget to season and make sure the rice is just cooked before serving with plenty of chopped parsley. At the Wood Street Foodhall we have a great selection of Spanish ingredients including a complete kit to make the perfect paella. So why not pop in and say ‘hola’?