Paella lover: rice, seafood, Vegetables. rabbit, chicken, and saffron Etc Make Most delicious Paella bits.
A few years ago Mike and I went to Valencia and the first thing we ate was paella! We literally got off the train and headed for the paella restaurant. On the way there, there were Valencian orange trees with beautiful oranges but apparently the orange trees lined the streets of Valencia are not the same as the sugar used for juice. Still, the Spanish paella was as good as I thought. So good that all our food in Valencia was paella or Spanish churros dipped in chocolate.
The paella was all good: sweetened meat, soft beans, and the best part, the sweet-smelling rice with slices of fried rice. It was a dream come true.
paella recipe
What is paella?
Paella, called pay-EH-yah! it is a bowl of rice made in a deep, wide pan over an open fire. Paella means "frying pan" in Valencian. Traditionally, paella includes short-grain rice, raw beans, rabbit, chicken, and saffron, but today there is a wide variety of varieties, from seafood to vegetarians. I made a mixta paella here, which is a mixed paella with meat, seafood, and vegetables.
How to make a paella
Apply saffron. This will release both color and scent. Place the saffron in a small bowl of hot water and set aside.
Purify protein. Heat the olive oil in your paella pan over medium heat and make your protein
Flush faster: the chicken goes into the skin upside down and the chorizo turns brown. Shrimp is thrown immediately before removal so that it does not overcook.
Sweating aromatics. Add the onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika and cook, stirring, until light and fragrant.
Add the liquid. Carefully add the chicken stock and water to the saffron and bring everything to a boil. Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice.
Add the rice. Time to sprinkle rice! Try adding it in a small, even place and use a spoon to spread it out if you need it. Allow everything to cook and cook, uncovered until the rice absorbs almost all of the liquid.
Add seafood. Add the clams and add the shrimp on top.
Cook on low heat until the clams open and the rice is al denote.
Socarrat Time! Turn on high heat for 1-2 minutes to create a crust of fried rice.
Relax and enjoy. Cover the paella with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes before enjoying it.
cooking paella
Paella Ingredients
Rice
Because paella is really about rice, rice is a very important ingredient. Bomba rice, from Spain, is the best choice. It absorbs 3 times more liquid than normal rice and gives you 3 times more flavor when all the liquid is absorbed. And it is well cooked, durable and al dente. You can usually find tap rice at Whole Foods or online.
pump rice
Spanish Paprika smoked
Smoked paprika is found with sugar and babattersweet, get smoked Spanish paprika. Add smoke, aroma, and color.
Protein
There is a lot of controversy about what kind of protein goes into paella. If you do not worry too much about authenticity you can customize your paella and put whatever you want. If you go with chorizo try to get Spanish chorizo, dried and treated. But if you have only Mexican chorizo available, I think that's fine too. Purists say chorizo will override other flavors, but we have many Valencia paella with chorizo (and outside), so it’s a personal choice. Other proteins you can use include chicken, pork, seafood, or really, whatever you dream of.
Vegetables
Many paella has vegetables in it, especially the paella we had when we were in Valencia. It is usually a type of green bean, a rare variety here in North America. You can add some green beans, add peppers, asparagus, artichokes, peas, olives, beans, chickpeas, really, it looks like protein, go wild!
Stock
Stocked with good spices as this is what will add flavor inside your pumpkin rice. That being said, if you have a bad salt, I can make a low sodium stock and add a season later. If you have time, make homemade seafood / shell or chicken stock, which makes it easy to control spice and flavor.
saffron
Saffron is what makes paella its golden color. The red-orange strands have ground, flowers, and add a distinct flavor. Saffron is one of the most expensive spices in the world. You only need 1/2 teaspoon but it certainly adds perfect flavor, so don’t give up. Look for deep red-orange saffron threads that are evenly colored. Saffron is sold in many supermarkets and specialty grocery stores.
Paella pan
If you want all the essential pieces of fried rice, or socarrat, you will need a paella pan. The width of the paella pan helps to spread the rice, ensuring that the rice cooks in a thin layer. A serving pan for two people is usually 10-12 inches and an eight serving pan is 18 inches. The most popular size pans are 14 and 16 inches, consuming 4-6. What size pan you get depends on how many people you plan to feed.
The larger the pan, the more compact it will be. They even have 4-foot-wide pans! Years ago, at Christmas, Mike and I were in London and saw two large paella pans in Covent Garden. The cold saffron flavor of the cold air was very attractive so we decided to join the big line to taste it. I am sure that Hola Paella (now permanently closed) was not the most authentic paella in London, but it attracted a lot of attention and was a good food to keep us warm on a cold day.
What if I do not have a paella pan?
If you are wondering, can I use a cast iron skillet to make a paella, the answer is yes! As long as you use the right rice, you can use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillet is wide and well-heated, making it ideal for paella. Use the largest and largest metal pan you have in order to spread your rice.
Paella in a frying pan
If you have a desire for paella and do not have a paella pan or cast iron pan you can make it in a frying pan. Spaniards may look down on you, but hey, you do too! I actually made the paella in a frying pan on a pinch and it tasted good. You can use a non-stick or regular frying pan but if you are using a non-stick, make sure you do not overheat. It shouldn’t really be a problem, especially with paella as you don’t use a large amount of high heat anyway - keep it medium. If you want a socarrat in a regular frying pan, my tip is to keep it on low heat for a long time, until the moisture boils and you get crispy bottoms. If you are going to try this on a frying pan, I recommend splitting it in half because the recipe as below will not fit in your standard 12-frying pan.
Which rice should I use?
Paella should be made with Bomba or Calasparra rice, a medium grain rice grown in Spain. Spanish rice is thick and round, ready to absorb most of the liquid while it is still firm. You want your rice grains to remain separate and not creamy or mushy.
Rice is really the best part of paella. I can eat loads and lots of that smoky, saffron-shaped rice and I have it. I made Mike a big pan, my best friend and I thought there would be some left over (I used a 6-8 working pan), but the three of us polished together at the same time. We completely fell into the food combs one time later, but it was worth it. The best part was that there was enough socarrat enough to go.
pump rice
What is a socarrat?
Socarrat is an important layer of fried rice at the bottom of the pan if you cook your paella well. Many people consider it to be the best parts. Caramelized and toasty and nutty and with all the paella flavors concentrated.
Paella FAQ
What are the different types of paella?
Valencian: An old Valencia version with rabbit, chicken, lima beans, tall beans, snails, and rosemary.
Seafood / paella de marisco: A version of seafood. It is usually more liquid because seafood releases more delicious juices. It usually contains prawns, mussels, calamari, and mussels.
Mixed / mixta paella: A combination between Valencian and marisco and meat and seafood. It is the most popular of all.
Paella negra: Immediately visible with black ink rice. It is made of squid ink and is a Spanish favorite.
Vegetarian / paella vegetariana: Loads of vegetables such as artichokes, lima beans, and red peppers and vegetables. Sometimes you will find chickpeas and potatoes too.
Should you drink rice?
There is no reason to soak the rice. Dipping the rice will make it more ripe and mushy.
Do you move while cooking?
No, no movement is required. Paella is not a risotto and the stirring will give your rice a creamy texture instead of the crispy socarrat you want.
Do you cover the pan when you cook?
Unlike other rice bowls, you do not need to cover the pan. Rice can achieve its al dente texture signature only if moisture can escape. This also makes a great socarrat.
What is paella sauce?
In Valencia, there is no perfect paella except for the side of the paella sauce or garlic aioli. The creamy, garlic-like sauce is reminiscent of mayo and goes well with smoky, fragrant rice. To make garlic aioli, add 1 cup of neutral oil, 1 egg yolk, 1 tbsp jon, 2 tsp lemon juice, and 1 clove of garlic to 1 cup immersion blender. Use a dipping blender and mix until combined and thickened. Season with salt to taste.
How to re-heat
The best way to reheat a paella is in a pan over the stove. Remove the rest from the fridge and allow to reach room temperature for about 30 minutes before reheating. Heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then spread the paella. Allow to cool, occasionally stirring until tender. You can also heat in the microwave, stir and heat as needed, about 1-2 minutes on top.
What else can I use for a paella pan?
You can use it to cook anything that will work well with a wide, flat cooking. Perfect for roasting meat, used as a frying pan, or frying pan.
30 saffron strips finely chopped, about 1/2 tsp
1/4 cup of neutral oil high heat as preferred grapeseed
2 links for Spanish chorizo cut
4 bone in the skin on chicken thighs
10-12 large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 small chopped onion, about 1 cup
3 cloves crushed garlic
3 medium-diced or minced tomatoes, about 2 cups, see notes
1 tbsp hot paprika
6 cups chicken broth no sodium preferred
2.5 cups pump rice
1 red or orange pepper cut into 1 ′ ′ strips.
12 leaves
Special equipment
paella pan in the middle
Instructions
1/ Stir the saffron into 1⁄4 cup hot water in a small bowl and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
saffron
2/ In a 16 ″ –18 ″ paella pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chorizo and chicken, with the skin facing down. Add the shrimp and cook, occasionally stirring, until brown, about 5 minutes, then transfer the shrimp to a plate, leaving the meat to simmer in the pan.
cooking paella
3/ Add the onion, garlic, tomato, and paprika and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 6 minutes. Add saffron and 4 cups of chicken stock. Peel a squash, grate it and squeeze the juice.
4/ Sprinkle with rice, spread evenly, and place the peppers on top. Cook, uncooked, without stirring, until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12-15 minutes. If the pan is larger than the burner, rotate every two minutes to evenly distribute the heat. When the stock is low enough, add the remaining 2 cups of chicken stock.
5/ Reduce heat to low, and top with cooked shrimp. Apply to clams, hinge facing down. Continue to cook, without covering or stirring, until the clams open and the rice absorbs the liquid and becomes al dente, 5-10 minutes longer. Turn on high heat for 1-2 minutes to create a socarrat. Remove pan from heat, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit for 5 minutes wait before enjoying.
Notes
Paella is completely custom made so feel free to make this dish vegetarian, whole seafood, or whole meat.
You can also grind tomatoes in large holes in a grater box. Be careful and dispose of the skin afterwards.