That was just fine by me, because I really liked these mussels. They came out nice and soft, but not too chewy. The "calamares" were by far the chewiest ingredient in our bag. I've had squid before that was not this chewy, but really, it wasn't horrendous—just a tad more rubbery than I would have preferred. The rest of the textures were wonderful and blended together seamlessly.
South Jersey is full of fresh seafood, but I haven't seen many places around here that offer any kind of paella. In fact, the only other time in my life that I've had proper paella was in Spain. There was a quaint sidewalk cafe in Madrid where I tried this "national dish" of España. It was a while back, but honestly, I remember not being impressed. It was much soupier than Trader Joe's offering, the vegetables were stringy, and I felt it lacked flavor. They might have given me a bad batch on purpose, though. They didn't seem fond of non-Spanish speakers there. <Sigh.> Six and a half years into a marriage to someone whose first language is Spanish, and I'm still trying to learn it.
But back to the paella. It's good. It's complex, flavorful, and not-at-all-fishy. Seafoody? Yes. Fishy? No. I'm not sure how authentic it is, but I certainly prefer it to the only other paella I've ever had. Ironically, this selection is a "product of France," not Spain, according to the bag. Eh, close enough, I guess. Four stars from me. Three and a half from my better half.
Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.
Looking forward to trying this.
ReplyDeleteMaybe they couldn't find a supplier that can make paella without GMO's or bidding process to get sold in store.
ReplyDeleteFood allergies can appear to come and go because the exact species plus the processing method can make a difference. Cooked protein is different from raw. Organically grown is different from stuff grown with pesticides, if it turns out you're actually sensitive to the pesticide residues. Plus what else in the meal matters because it can slow down absorption. And if you stay away from the allergen long enough, many times you can eat it without symptoms at least once and maybe routinely if you don't do it often (not every meal, not every day, spaced apart by several days or a week or two months...)
ReplyDeleteBe careful with seafood allergies, though. For some reason they tend to be nastier than others, although if she hasn't collapsed in shock yet- that's a good sign. :)
Does the rice get caramelized/crunchy like with traditional paella?
ReplyDeleteI used to have a come & go allergy to seafood-mainly shell fish, but no longer bothered by it. My solution, I took the advice of someone who had similar bouts of it and she suggested that I do not drink wine when having the fish. Lo and behold it worked!!!! Maybe too much sulfite at one time???
ReplyDeleteI have to say I tried this and found it revolting. And I'm a big fan of paella.
ReplyDeleteAnd most paella can be 'safe' for those with lactose allergies EXECEPT this one. It contains lactose and milk added to make the crab more 'tasty'.... Paella usually contains no added milk, except cheese, if added by the patron. I spent the day on the pot. In the future, just make my own, how frustrating.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you try this, then, when the bag has "CONTAINS MILK" printed on it?
Deleteshrimp are like little rocks. not edible.
ReplyDeleteI think you overcooked it, then. I just tried it and it was quite good. Shrimp tender, calamari not rubbery.
DeleteOMG I love Paella and so glad I found this at TJ’s. I bought one just to try it out and I was blown away on how yummmy this is. I ended up going back to purchase more and again a few days later. I need this in my feezer and can eat this every other day!!
ReplyDeleteI just tried it for the first time. And I think it is very good. The texture was perfect. The calmari wasn't too chewy. If it was for you, then you probably cooked it too long.
ReplyDeletequick easy and onion free. all pluses in my book.
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