Don’t put that in your paella, Jamie!

Angela Day. Paella. 251113. Picture: Chris Collingridge 003

Angela Day. Paella. 251113. Picture: Chris Collingridge 003

Published Feb 27, 2014

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London - A group calling themselves the “paella police” have accused Jamie Oliver of “prostituting” the Spanish dish by using the wrong ingredients.

According to three Spaniards passionate about paella, the celebrity chef should not have included the spicy sausage chorizo in his recipe.

The trio from Valencia were so horrified by foreign takes on the traditional dish that they’ve launched a website - Wikipaella - to protect the dish.

Co-founder Guillermo Navarro says: “If Jamie Oliver wants to make his own version of paella, well that’s good but don’t present it as something authentic or traditional, because it’s not.”

He said that Oliver adding chorizo to paella is like a Spanish chef adding oranges to fish and chips.

The site strictly sets out which ingredients can be used. Rabbit, snails, prawns and artichokes are allowed, but most other additions, particularly the use of food colouring instead of saffron, are banned.

Navarro claims that paella is “being taken advantage of”. Experimental chefs have included avocados, poached eggs and even pineapple in the dish. - Daily Mail

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