Paella is a rather tricky dish! Are you using the proper pan? Did you stir the rice?
Did you add onions?! Watch until the end to learn the answers to these questions
and more, to help you achieve paella perfection!
Paella is named after the dish it is made in: a shallow and extremely wide pan,
traditionally double-handled and made from steel. The pan has this
unique and peculiar shape for a very specific reason. The large surface area
allows for a thin layer of rice to be cooked in liquid that evaporates much quicker than in
a traditional pot. This unique cooking process is what gives paella its dry, crispy texture.
Trying to make paella without a paella pan is a difficult challenge, but it's
also one that's absolutely achievable. The best substitutes are a cast iron pan, casserole dish,
or frying pan. However, a paella cooked in the correct pan will nearly always be superior
versus paella cooked with substituted equipment. This is mainly due to the evaporating process.
Using the incorrect size paella pan will also affect the unique cooking process
that is key to making the perfect paella.
For example, rice should be no more than a finger's width deep. Overfilling a small
paella pan in order to feed more people may seem reasonable, but it's not the best choice.
It'll turn your potentially perfect paella into a heap of undercooked rice sitting on top of wet,
overcooked rice. So, to avoid this all too common occurrence,
be sure to only use a paella pan that is the correct diameter for your needs.
"If you are what you eat, then I only whanna eat the good stuff."
Rice is a notoriously tricky ingredient to cook.
In fact, many skilled and accomplished chefs have admitted that cooking rice in general,
and specifically in paella, is an extremely technical process.
It's a process that relies on water to rice ratios,
heat intensities, and of course rice type. It is widely accepted that to make excellent paella,
you must start with the correct type of rice. As reported by The Guardian,
medium-grain Spanish rice, the most popular of which is bomba, is the only option.
This type of rice is essential due to its absorption qualities.
When submerged, bomba rice absorbs three times its volume and will only expand in
width. This prevents the paella from becoming mushy and allows the rice to
absorb the maximum flavor from both the added ingredients and the stock it is cooked in.
Substituting the Spanish-grown varieties for cheaper, more readily available alternatives
such as basmati or arborio may severely limit the quality of paella you can produce. However,
if you do decide to go down this route, be sure to reduce the quantities of stock used. As longer
grain rice varieties, such as basmati, typically only absorb one and a half times their volume.
If rice is the building block of paella, then the stock is its mortar.
This liquid will be responsible for filling your rice with flavor and will help determine
the final quality of your paella. To put it simply, a poor stock guarantees a poor paella.
The reason why it's believed that making your own stock is so important is due to the lack of
quality control when it comes to store-bought cubes or concentrates. Boiling the heads and
tails of shellfish is an easy way to make a flavorful stock for seafood paella. Whereas,
if you're going for something more meat-centric, it's advised to mix roasted bones in an assortment
of vegetables for a flavorful broth. For both stocks, using minimal water is advised
as overfilling it with water will result in a finished product that is weak and tasteless.
If you decide to use store-bought stock,
you can still ensure a flavorsome paella by gently boiling it with some aromatics or bones.
This quick process will transform a one-dimensional, store-bought
stock into a complex and flavor-filled liquid that will make your rice sing.
"Have you ever had really good paella?"
"Not really"
"Oh it's an orgiastic feast for the senses!"
Britain doesn't have the best track record when it comes to culinary endeavors. However
that doesn't seem to stop the small nation from passing judgment and making alterations to other
countries' hallowed dishes. Chicken Tikka Masala and the fare served at British Chinese takeaways
both serve as direct examples of Britain's penchant for meddling with other cuisines.
Unfortunately, paella hasn't escaped the Anglo's misguided fingertips. This is exemplified by
British chef Jaime Oliver's inclusion of chorizo in his version of paella. Oliver's announcement
of his dish was met with sustained ridicule by Spanish individuals. Many of them maintained
that adding chorizo to paella was equal to making fish and chips with eggplants and duck.
"By the way, it went so much darker than that. I mean, it trended for weeks!"
In case it bears repeating, adding chorizo is a huge no-no in your endeavor to creating
authentic paella. Adding chorizo will open you up to ridicule by any paella-loving Spanish national.
Not to mention, the smoky, spiced sausage will also likely dominate the flavor of your paella,
negating all the hard work you put into your stock.
There are no two ways about it, saffron is expensive.
In fact, due to the highly labor-intensive harvesting process,
saffron stands as the world's most expensive spice, with 1 pound costing approximately $5,000.
"Holy, bank balance!"
So it's understandable then that some people would rather avoid adding something so expensive to
their paella in favor of something a little bit cheaper. However, don't move too fast,
saffron is absolutely integral to paella, and not only in a traditional sense.
Without saffron, paella lacks its central flavor and distinctive golden color. Some common,
and less expensive alternatives, included turmeric and tartrazine, a food coloring also used in
Mountain Dew. However, using alternatives in your paella is never something that can be recommended.
Chef José Pizarro, a man who has been celebrated for bringing authentic Spanish cooking to London,
epitomized the general Spanish stance on the matter, saying this to The Guardian:
"Always use proper saffron, never turmeric or colorant — that's sacrilege."
A paella that has had the saffron substituted is
easy to spot out. Both turmeric and tartrazine result in a bright yellow paella,
whereas saffron-infused paella is a much gentler orangey-gold.
A team of social scientists from a Spanish university in Valencia produced a list of the 10
official ingredients that can be included in paella. There were some contentious inclusions
and exemptions. However, one product that no one lamented being left off the list was onions.
The exclusion of onions may seem strange to those outside Spanish borders. After all,
onions often form the basis of not only many dishes but even whole cuisines. However,
there is a very good reason these beloved vegetables are not included in paella.
This is because onions tend to make the rice
soften, causing the paella to lose its signature crunch. Fresh onions are composed of 89% water
and a significant amount that is sure to throw off your carefully planned rice-to-liquid ratio.
If you do decide to add onions to your paella, you can rest assured that you're not alone. In 2013,
the popular Catalan beer company Estrella Damm produced a commercial that showed onions being
prepared for a party-sized paella. The Spanish predictably turned on their local company/
The entire fiasco was eventually referred to as quote, "Paellagate."
Paella has become famous largely due to its unique texture. Dry, individual grains of rice,
cooked slightly crispy, stand contrary to other creamy, sticky rice dishes such as risotto.
While rice type, stock-to-rice ratio, and cooking methods all play an important part
in creating paella's delectable texture there's another ironclad rule that must be followed.
In order to achieve the perfect paella, never, under any circumstances, stir the paella.
There is a very simple explanation behind this advice;
the action of stirring damages the surface of the rice, causing it to release starch. This starch
thickens any liquid it comes into contact with and can cause the rice and liquid to coagulate.
While a rich, creamy sauce might be what you are after when making risotto,
it is absolutely the opposite of what you want when making paella.
The mandate to never stir can cause some practical issues.
For example, you might wonder how to go about spreading the rice around the pan.
It is generally advised that you sprinkle the rice like salt into the paella pan
before shaking it to evenly distribute the grains. Other methods include pouring the rice
into the stock in the shape of a cross, before gently spreading with a spatula.
A good paella is all about the rice. But just as perfectly cooked rice defines a paella,
poorly cooked rice irrevocably dooms it. Both gummy, overcooked rice and hard,
inedible rice are a paella's worst enemies.
"The brown rice is like a mouthful of bullets."
To ensure your rice is cooked to crisp perfection, there are a few common mistakes to avoid.
The majority of us will not be cooking our paella on the traditional open fire, but
inside on the stove. This actually poses an issue.
Traditional steel paella pans have rather poor conductivity. They need an even heat source to
cook the rice consistently. You may think that straddling your paella pan over multiple burners,
and rotating it regularly will go some way in negating this issue, but that's not entirely true.
It's most ideal to find a heat source that can fully accommodate your pan.
Taking this measure should always be the first port of call,
even if this means downsizing your pan or purchasing a specific paella burner.
Another common mistake made when cooking paella is to cover it. The trapped steam ensures that the
rice will be sufficiently cooked, and therefore is a method favored by less confident cooks.
However, steaming the rice will cause the paella to lose its unique texture.
Because of this, covering the paella should be avoided wherever possible.
Spaniards are famed for their slightly irregular eating patterns.
Breakfast is often neglected, dinner is usually a light affair eaten around 10 p.m.,
and lunch is by far the largest and heartiest meal of the day.
For the Spanish then, paella is categorized firmly as a lunchtime meal. It is a dish to indulge in,
linger over, and share with family. Consequently, it is a regular fixture of Sunday lunchtimes
when whole families can gather and eat before practicing the Spanish art of Sobremesa.
This is when people remain at the table conversing long after the meal has finished.
It is nearly unheard of for Spaniards to eat paella during the evening meal,
and any restaurant that does serve it at this time is often perceived as catering to tourists.
As with any difficult dish, after you have finished making your paella, it would be
natural to stand back, and admire your handiwork for a few seconds before you serve everyone.
While there's absolutely nothing wrong with congratulating yourself after making your paella,
you'd be making a grave mistake if you proceeded to spoon the delicious rice out of the pan.
This is because spooning the paella out of the pan damages the rice's delicate texture.
Placing the paella in the middle of the table, seating yourselves around it,
and eating directly out of the pan is the traditional manner in which paella is eaten.
This also ensures that the vitally important communal aspect of the dish is maintained.
The lack of plates doesn't mean an abandonment of manners and rules on how one should conduct
themselves in such a situation. One such rule is that it is customary
to ask your neighbor's permission before squeezing lemon on your section of paella.
In the exciting pursuit of perfect paella, many overlook the final crucial step of letting the
paella rest before eating. These final few minutes, excruciating as they may be,
allow all residual moisture to be absorbed by the rice.
Not only does resting allow the rice to reach its final,
excellent form. It also helps to ensure that the piping hot paella doesn't burn your mouth!
"I think I burned my tongue." As to the correct resting period,
opinions are mixed with most chefs and experts recommending anywhere from five
to 10 minutes. In the end, with the aromas wafting around your house, the resting period will likely
be dictated by a matter of several things. One, self-discipline, and two how well you
and others can resist the urge to descend on the paella like a school of ravenous piranha.
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