Anybody out there a PAELLA GOD?

[maenad1961]

My chef sweetheart and I have been turning on to paella since being invited to a 3-chef "Paella Throwdown".  We keep finding recipes that call for frozen peas.  What is up with THAT?  Is Spain filled with little English gardens filled with delicate pea pods, or are cookbook writers looking for color, or are peas truly traditional in paella?

 

[abefroman]

Peas are not traditionally used.

If you want traditional, make a rabbit and snail paella cooked over an orange wood fire.

 

[tcollins]

My wife is Latino and I have made Paella a couple of times, even thought it's probably not been "classic". It has been very good and my guests have enjoyed it. I think the pea's are more for astetic's than flavor, something to bring color and an appealing balance to the dish. The peas certainly get lost in the flavors and do not stand out by themselves. Kind of offset's the yellow in the rest of this dish.

 

[bishop]

They are in many recipes but I would only add them if in season. Paella is a lot like jambalaya in that you can use it to get rid of leftovers while also taking advantage of what you have fresh on hand. Here is a Jose Andres recipe that looks tasty.

And just becuase I wanted to show off a little. Here is a jambalaya I made over my Uncle's campfire pit in a giant steel skillet. Much in the style of a paella.