The saffron spice is the "World's Most Expensive Spice" and this spice comes from a flower. 

This particular flower has three stigmas which are tiny threadlike strands that are then picked off by hand - hence the expense.

Saffron imparts a rich golden yellowish color to Spanish rice recipes and a little goes a long way.  However, too much saffron will impart a bitter taste to your meal. 

Saffron also has medicinal uses and is said to aid digestion.  However, it can be a potent spice, so be very careful not to ever use too much.

True saffron has a deep orange to brownish red color - the redder the better.  Saffron comes in whole saffron threads or in powdered form. 

To ensure quality get whole saffron threads.  Whole saffron threads will give more flavor to your Spanish rice recipes.

Paella recipes are traditionally cooked in a Paella pan which is a wide type of skillet pan. 

Paella recipes originated in Valencia, but many variations of Paella can be found throughout Spain.

Ingredients:

• Green & Red Pepper Slices (chopped)
• 1 Clove Garlic (cut in half)
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil (for cooking)
• 3 1/2 oz. Rabbit Meat
• 3 1/2 oz. Chicken Meat
• Tomato Sauce (enough for flavoring)
  
• Sea Salt (to taste)
• 2 1/2 cups of Hot Chicken Broth or Stock
• 2 Green Beans (stringy part removed and chopped)
• Sweet Paprika (to taste)
• Handful Cooked Broad White Beans
  
• Big Pinch of Saffron
  
• 7 oz. of Bomba Rice

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a deep skillet and add the garlic, rabbit meat, and chicken - brown.
2. Remove the garlic clove before it gets bitter and add in the bell peppers, string beans, paprika, and tomato sauce - stir.
3. Next add in the Bomba rice and stir to toast the rice for a minute.  Then add in the hot stock or broth - stir.
4. Finally, add a pinch of sea salt, the cooked broad beans, and the saffron spice.
5. Cook until the Paella rice has finished cooking and absorbs all of the stock or broth.
6. Serve while your Spanish rice recipes are still warm.
7. Enjoy with a glass of crisp white wine.

Paella recipes are typically made with a variation of these ingredients:  Short Grained White Rice, Rabbit, Chicken, Seafood, Green Vegetables, Beans, Tomatoes, Meat, Land Snails, Saffron, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Paella Rice - a true paella rice is a short grained rice sometimes referred to as pearl rice which has the ability to absorb cooking liquid while still holding its shape.

Spain is known for growing some of the world's greatest rice for making Spanish rice recipes like paella. And most of this rice is grown in Valencia.

Bomba Rice - one of the most prized and expensive rice of Spain. Bomba rice absorbs about 3 times its volume of cooking liquid.

Bomba is a short grained rice and expands in width instead of length.

This rice costs more due to a more lengthy cultivation process.

Valencia Rice - is a short to medium grained rice and is grown in Valencia Spain.

It is a very common rice used to make paella.

This rice cooks up tender and has the ability to absorb liquids which helps to make great paella recipes.

Calasparra Rice - is of the finest quality and is a short grained rice. This rice has a longer growing cycle than most paella rice and is irrigated by cold mountain water.

These rice kernels become more dehydrated and are more capable of absorbing liquid and flavors that make an outstanding paella recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Pinches of Saffron
• 2 to 2 1/2 cups of Fish Stock or Chicken Stock
• 1 Tbsp. Organic Coconut Oil
• 1 White Onion (chopped)
• 8 oz. Bison Chorizo Sausage (sliced)
  
• 2 or 3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1 Hot Chilli (chopped)
• 1 tsp. Smoked Paprika
• Pinch of Sea Salt
• Cauliflower Rice (1 head of cauliflower - grated)
• 13.5 oz Can of Tomatoes (chopped)
• Assortment of Fresh Seafood (shrimp, mussels, & fish)
  
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Frozen Peas
• Juice of a 1 Fresh Lime
• Freshly Chopped Parsley for Garnish
  

Instructions:

1. Add 2 pinches of saffron to your choice of stock and bring to a simmer in a pot.
2. Add the coconut oil to a large skillet and saute the onion, chorizo, and garlic on medium heat. 
3. Then add in the chilli, sea salt, and paprika to give this paella some heat.
4. Next stir in the cauliflower rice, saffron flavored stock, and chopped tomatoes - simmer for 15 minutes (so the cauliflower rice absorbs the flavors of this paella recipe).
5. Then add in fresh seafood making sure the mussels (in particular) are wedged into some of the liquid. 
6. Stir until the mussels open up and the rest of the seafood is cooked al dente.
7. Finally, stir in the frozen peas and squeeze the juice from a fresh lime into the Paella.
8. Remove from the heat and dish into serving bowls - top with freshly chopped parsley.

1. You can either grate a head of raw cauliflower or add chunks of raw cauliflower into your food processor - to make a quicker cauliflower rice.
2. Just be sure to pulse and don't overcrowd the cauliflower - to make a cauliflower rice that turns out looking like short grain rice.
3. Do more than 1 batch - if necessary - to make the perfect cauliflower rice texture.
4. You can either use raw cauliflower rice in your recipes or cook it a little before adding it to your recipes.

Newsletter #44
The
Violet Flame

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