On Monday, March 27 National Paella Day celebrates a food filled with tradition and always cooked in a round, flat-bottomed pan with handles. The dish takes its name from the Latin word ‘patella’, meaning a flat plate on which offerings were made to the Gods.
Cooking over an open flame is essential as it creates the layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, that is deliciously unique to paella.
Did you know paella is traditionally eaten on a Thursday? On Mondays, fishermen would bring in the fish so it could be sent all over Spain and distributed. Because it was hard to move the catch, this took almost two days – restaurants would get the fish on Wednesdays and the next day they would make paella for their customers.
Here are three of our favourite Spanish venues to get your paella fix on Monday:
Feast like a Spanish King at Bouzy Rouge, a sophisticated space with an underground vibe, well suited to the suave crowd of Melburnians who frequent this Bridge Road establishment. A decadent interior design, furnished with elegance and style, emanates a grandiose Mediterranean vibe ensuring all who enter through exotically carved doors instantly feel like royalty.
Begin with grilled chorizo, caramelised onions and housemade cucumber pickles, before sharing a mixed paella served in the traditional Valencian way with a crust on the base known as a ‘socarrat’, chicken, chorizo, prawns, saffron and red peppers.
Those with a craving for Spanish fare head along Glenferrie Road in Hawthorn to find paella and churro specialist De Barcelona. On balmy days take to the rooftop terrace – a mirror image of the owners’ grandparents’ courtyard in Barcelona - where colourful cushions invite lingering over a Sangria with family and friends, while indoors offers a relaxed, chilled-out vibe for all to enjoy.
Housemade beef empanadas make for a great starting point on Monday, before diving into paella de Mariscos – a regional Spanish dish of seafood paella, with beans, peas, capsicum, prawns, squid, mussels and clam meat.
Indulge in authentic Spanish cuisine without leaving Melbourne at Arcadia Gastronomique on Union Road in Ascot Vale. With candle-lit tables, welcoming staff and walls lined with flamenco dancers, this romantic restaurant is a place to relax and forget about your cares while perusing a traditional menu with perfectly matched wines.
Run by husband-and-wife team Andres and Ruth Ruiz-Mesa, expect to say hola to signature dishes like Arroz Negro Valenciano – black paella in squid ink with cuttlefish, fresh fish, mussels and prawns.
For more Spanish dining destinations, click here.
