Paella: How to Make Spain's Iconic Dish
When my coworker showed me a picture of this dish, Paella the national dish of Spain, I knew I had to try it…no matter the cost!
Things to know:
How is paella traditionally cooked?
Traditionally, paella is cooked in a wide, shallow pan over an open wood fire (like orange wood) in Valencia, Spain, using specific ingredients like chicken, rabbit, beans, and saffron, creating a flavorful broth in the pan itself, and crucially, it’s cooked uncovered and not stirred after adding rice to develop separate grains and a prized crispy bottom layer called socarrat.
What is the history of paella?
Paella’s history starts in Valencia, Spain, as a humble farm worker’s meal cooked over an open fire using local ingredients like rice, beans, rabbit, and snails, evolving from Moorish rice cultivation and Roman pans. It gained fame in the 19th century, spreading from fields to broader popularity, with regional variations emerging, most notably seafood paellas along the coast, though the traditional Paella Valenciana remains the classic.
What is traditionally in a paella?
Traditional Paella Valenciana from Valencia uses rice, olive oil, saffron, water, salt, chicken, rabbit, garrofó (lima/butter beans), and ferradura (flat green beans), sometimes with snails, while modern versions often add seafood (shrimp, mussels, calamari), paprika, and bell peppers, but the core remains short-grain rice and quality saffron.
What are common paella mistakes?
Using the wrong rice: One of the most common mistakes is using just any type of rice.
Overcooking or making it too soupy. If your paella ends up soupy or mushy, it’s probably because too much broth was added or it was cooked for too long.
Using ingredients that don’t belong.
What is the most important spice in paella?
The main spice in paella is saffron, which provides its signature golden color and unique floral, earthy flavor, making it the most crucial ingredient for authentic taste. Smoked paprika (pimentón) is also essential for depth, sweetness, and a reddish hue, often used alongside saffron and sometimes other aromatics like garlic and bay leaves.
Ingredients:
1.5 t saffron threads (Spanish preferred)
8 oz Spanish chorizo, cubed (split in 2 4 oz. portions)
2 T olive oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes
1 bay leaf
2.5 t Spanish smoked paprika
1 cup dry white wine
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs cut in half
3 cups bomba rice
5 cups seafood or chicken broth (we used Aneto Valenciana Paella Base)
1 lb shrimp shelled and divined
5 lobster tails, deveined and split in half
2 lemons, cut into wedges for serving
fresh parsley for serving
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. If you are not using Spanish saffron, place your saffron in a flat foil envelope, and place into a hot skillet for about 10 seconds a side to toast the saffron. Remove the envelope and set aside.
2. Grease a dutch oven with spray oil (we actually used pork lard). Over medium heat; once it begins to shimmer, add half the chorizo, cook it until the chorizo starts to get a little crispy and its fat render. With a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo and add chicken thighs, sear them for about 15 minutes, occasionally tossing until you get some nice color (no need to cook them all the way through).
3. Remove the chicken; add chicken stock, shrimp stock or Paella Base, heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil, turn it down to low and add saffron (lightly crushed).
4. In a paella pan (or saute pan), heat up olive oil over medium heat; once it begins to shimmer, add the rest of the chorizo, cook it until the chorizo starts to get a little crispy and its fat render; next, add your sofrito, consisting of a mixture of onion, bell pepper, and garlic, all tossed together.
5. Season generously with salt and pepper, saute for three to four minutes or until softened, then add tomatoes (crushing by hand as you add them), bay leaf, and smoked paprika. Season a taste with salt and cook that down, often stirring until almost all the liquid is gone, about three minutes.
6. Then add white wine let it simmer down until the majority reduces, about five to eight minutes.
7. Add your chicken back, stir until the chicken is hot, add “bomba” rice, mix, allow the rice to toast for about one minute, and slowly pour in your hot saffron broth. Gently shake the pan to even up the rice, let it come to a simmer over medium-low, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. (if a lot of the liquid evaporates, add another cup or so of water and simmer for 15 – 18 minutes)
8. Add your lobster tails, arranging them in a pattern, nestling them into your rice, flesh side down; then nestle your shrimps all around the rice. Cook it for another 5-8 minutes.
9. Once it looks like there is anymore liquid bubbling and starts to smell a little toasted on the bottom of the pan, cut the heat and cover with foil for 10-12 minutes. (if the lobster has not finished cooking, place the pan covered in the oven at 350F for 5-8 minutes.)
10. Remove the foil, drizzle some olive oil, scatter around some lemon cheeks, and finish it with fresh, flat parsley leaves. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Garcima Tabarca Paella Pan Set with Burner, 20 Inch Carbon Steel Outdoor Pan
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