Florida’s oldest restaurant, The Columbia, in Ybor City is nearly 120 years old — and it is still owned and operated by 4th- and 5th-generation family members of the original restaurateur, a Spanish-Cuban immigrant, Casimiro Hernandez, Sr. Our own very special evening at The Columbia many years ago was absolutely magical — the food, the flamenco dancers and music, and the entire experience was a huge dining highlight for us! So when “it’s paella time” at your house, make their famous “Paella a la Valencia”. The dish is prepared in a traditional paella pan, and features clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, calamares, chicken and pork — then it is baked with Valencia rice, extra-virgin olive oil, green peppers, Spanish onions, ripe tomatoes, garlic, spices and a white wine finish! Delicious! 😋 — The recipe (courtesy of The Columbia Restaurant/Ybor City, Tampa, Florida) was featured on Emeril’s Florida television show (“Viva Florida” Episode #CCEMF-103H) — this is their photo and my adapted version of the recipe.
For the paella:
1/2 teaspoon saffron
4 cups rich, homemade chicken stock
1/2 pound squid, tentacles and tubes
1 pound boneless chicken breast
3/4 pound boneless pork loin
1/2 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, chopped into eighths
1 large green pepper, chopped into eighths
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Columbia Seasoning (see NOTE)
12 scallops, 10-20 count
3/4 pound shrimp, 36-40 count
8 mussels
8 littleneck clams
1 whole bay leaf
2 cups Valencia (or Bomba) short-grain rice.
For the garnish:
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup small peas, cooked
2 roasted red peppers, cut into strips
4 white asparagus tips
Pulverize the saffron into a powder using a mortar and pestle. Heat chicken stock in a small saucepan. Add saffron and allow it to dissolve; set aside and keep warm for later use. Cut squid into 3/4-inch tubes; set aside. Cut chicken and pork into 1-inch pieces; set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large Paella pan (or large ovenproof casserole). Sauté onion, green pepper, tomatoes, and garlic until onion is transparent. Add pork and chicken to the pan, season with Columbia Seasoning, and cook until meat is lightly browned on all sides. Add all of the seafood and sauté 1 minute. Add the still-warm saffron-seasoned chicken stock, bay leaf and rice; stir well. Bring mixture just to a boil, then cover the pan and bake approximately 20 minutes, or until rice is done.
To serve: Remove pan from oven and sprinkle wine evenly over the top; garnish with peas, roasted red peppers, and asparagus tips and serve hot, right out of pan. — Serves 4-6
NOTE: What is in Columbia restaurant seasoning? Here’s what they say. — Share the Columbia “Seasoning” secret in your own kitchen with our all-purpose seasoning. Use on meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables. Our Columbia Seasoning contains salt, dehydrated garlic and onion, spices and silicon dioxide. In ¼ of a teaspoon, there are 0 calories, 260 mg sodium, 0 cholesterol or protein. — https://shop.columbiarestaurant.com › … Columbia All-Purpose Seasoning | Shop Columbia Restaurant Group