A La Plancha Spanish Cooking Explained

A La Plancha With A Modern Twist - Electric Multi Pan

Food cooked a la Plancha (pron. ah-la-plahn-chah) is a mainly Spanish or Latin American style of cooking. Food is traditionally cooked on a metal flat grill plate or griddle pan, hence the Spanish word for plate - plancha. A large number of ex pats or holiday makers have been returning to the UK searching for a way to replicate the gorgeous Spanish recipes that they have learned to love, whilst in Spain.  

Most of these lovers of all things Spanish have also built up a fondness for their planchas or grill plates. With the best of both worlds the electric multipans have become a modern version of the plancha. These electric pans are easy to use and great for recreating Spanish omelettes, paella and risotto.

The electric pans are very versatile, too. Not just ideal for Hispanic style recipes but also for many other dishes. They are also capable of frying, grilling, stewing, refining and baking.  So that covers a whole array of menus that can be re-created with the modern electric plancha. Why not try baking a chorizo and pineapple pizza, fry lamb chump steaks with mushrooms or create a delicious venison casserole? – And you only need one pan. 

Back with the Spanish Plancha theme paella differs from risotto in that the rice should be nutty and the dish shouldn’t really be stirred during cooking. Indeed authentic paella has a ‘crocant’ or crisp layer on the bottom. This takes a bit of practice so that as the last of the stock evaporates in the electric multi pan the rice is just ready. In Spain this delicious crusty layer is considered as the best bit.

So as our autumn draws deeper why not relive your Spanish summer hols – reminisce about the balmy sunny evenings with traditional style paella and perhaps a glass or two of sangria?

I raise a toast - Salud y amor y tiempo para disfrutarlo - health, love and money and much time in which to spend them all….

Try this Valencia paella based on a recipe from The Hairy Bikers Cook off 
(source BBC recipes)

125ml/4fl oz olive oil, 200g/7oz rabbit meat cubed, 250g/9oz chicken breast fillets cubed, salt, 1 lrg. onion chopped, 2 garlic cloves chopped, 165g/5¾oz runner beans sliced, 2 tomatoes chopped, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1.9 litres/3¼ pints hot chicken stock,salt & pepper, 700ml/1.25 pints calasparra rice, 130g/4oz drained can large white lima beans.

Heat the oil in multi pan over a medium heat. Season the rabbit and chicken meat lightly with salt. Add to pan and fry each side until browned. Remove and leave to one side. Add onion and garlic to pan fry for 3-4 mins, until soft. Add green beans, browned meats, tomatoes and paprika. Stir then immediately add the hot stock.

Bring the mixture to the boil over a high heat and cook for 18-20 mins.

Season, to taste. Then add the rice and stir well to make sure it is covered with the liquid. Return the mixture to the boil and cook the rice over a fairly high heat for a further 20 minutes without stirring, until the rice is tender (not mushy or clumped together) and all of the broth has been absorbed.

Add the white beans and fold them into the paella. Turn the multipan off. Let it stand for about 10 minutes. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the grains should still be loose and retain a slight bite.

Modern multipan planchas available as  Electric Multipan in two depths - 40 or 90mm.