Just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for a great resource.There is nothing else like your site on the net today. My friends are just going to love this site once I let them know about it….

“I have absolutely no sweet tooth”

I don’t either. it inexplicably vanished about 8 years ago. you are the very first person I have heard say the same. coolness.

The only common ingredients are saffron and rice. Then a meat, either chicken or rabbit plus some veggies (favas are very common, peas a must, carrot and peppers are usually present). There’s no standard even in the liquid component. The cook of the Arrocería I worked at in Valencia used nothing but water. My dad works a mirepoix base until all the veggies disintegrate, then adds water. Most inland Valencianos would kill you if you use rabbit and don’t add mashed garlic and the bun’s liver… And that’s if you discount seafood “paellas” or Black Rice, or the mouth-watering Arrosechat (pink rice) or Arroz con Costra (Custard rice)… Valencianos are the scum of the Earth, but they are masters of rice.

About the clams. Well, it’s our peculiar geography what makes our seafood special. It’s a very simple preparation. Olive oil, a bit of garlic, a tiny bit of chilli flakes just to give it the tiniest of bites. Add the clams and when they open, add a bit of white wine and water, just enough to cover the end of the skillet, a generous amount of parsely and a bit of flour if the sauce’s too thin. Plate, sprinkle with more parsley.

As with all the Galician fish based dishes, it’s deceptively simple. You need top notch seafood to carry the dish. You can’t add anything that could masque the main ingredient’s flavour. That’s why most of the preparations usually call for a slight boil or even steaming the seafood.

ok - i’ll pay you

Marcos - Ah, my friend, I was hoping you’d weigh in. Traditionally paella is made with rabbit, correct? That’s something I definitely want to try, and I’m glad I have a more suitable title for my lobster and rice concoction. I’d love to try your mum’s Clam Stew, and I have to say, our “heathen” clams are pretty darned tasty. The ones we got on Saturday had still been in the water that morning, so they were super fresh and sweet.

Marie - Fennel, leeks, a touch of saffron, Herbes de Provence, tomatoes and a wee bit of creme fraiche at the end. I’m sure it’s in no way authentic. And the Things are supposed to be coconuts! They were a gift from a good friend and we just pulled them out for the first time this weekend. Mike was working on a drink for the latest round of Mixology Monday, which he’ll write up soon. There was rum. It was lovely.

And be patient, but what are the…Things. The round things with straws. Hooch? Hoochified yerba mate?

A paella, originally, was more a dish cooked in a paella ( a type of skillet) than a singular dish. With time it changed to a rice-based dish, but it should be noted that proper paellas did not include any seafood at all, as they originate from the landside part of Valencia.

However, while no paella, that looks like a very tasty Arroz con Bogavante.

PS - You should try my mum’s Clam Stew. Not sure how your heathen clams would replicate the taste, but I’ve tried it with cheapo italian clams, and while not heavenlike, it’s still very tasty indeed.