Spanish Paella – what’s the big fuss?

I wrote yesterday that everything I had eaten in Barcelona was just delicious, particularly the patatas bravas. Today I was proved wrong…

I’ve never been a big fan of paella in the past, but up ’til now I’ve always just assumed that I’ve been unlucky – maybe my friends cooked it wrong or the restaurants I tried it at in London just weren’t up to scratch. After today’s encounter, however, I’m starting to think that paella just doesn’t live up to the fuss. Everything else we had at the restaurant was scrumptious, but the paella was just as I’ve always found it – dry, lacking in flavour, a stodgy texture, too much rice and not enough of the extra seafood bits. Hopefully one day I will come round, but for the moment I think it is one Spanish dish I won’t be in an hurry to order again.

Do you like paella? If so, why? I’d love to be persuaded…