Making paella step by step
Paella is one of the most iconic dishes in Spanish cuisine. But the Valencian rice dish is truly an art to prepare well. Intimidating? Perhaps. But we’ll guide you through it; in eight steps to a delicious paella, here’s how!
Paella, ooh la la!
Just like the tagine in Morocco, paella takes its name from the pan in which it is made. The paella pan is a round pan made of polished steel with two handles. The bottom is slightly concave, and the diameter depends on the number of people gathering around your pan. Anyone who has ever been to Valencia, paella’s hometown, has probably seen them: paella pans as large as your double duvet. In Valencia itself, they often simply call the dish arroz (rice).
Making paella in 8 steps
- The sofrito. The basis of every paella is the sofrito (a purée of fresh tomatoes in olive oil and chopped garlic). The sofrito is made in advance and added to the rice later.
- The additions: the remaining ingredients (fish, seafood, chicken or rabbit) are seasoned with garlic and oil and set aside.
- The rice: this is essential and must be short-grain and absorbent, such as arroz bomba. It absorbs a lot of flavor, which is essential for a good paella. The rice is fried in the paella pan until the grains become translucent.
- Seasoning the rice: the sofrito is added to the rice and finished with pimentón (paprika).
- Pour boiling-hot fish stock over the rice (as a guide for 2 people: use 400 ml stock for 200 grams of bomba rice and 200 grams of sofrito). After that, the rice must not be stirred.
- The saffron: saffron is important too, as it provides both the yellow color and the characteristic flavor. This spice quickly infuses the rice during cooking.
- The socarrat: this is the crispy rice crust that forms on the bottom of the paella pan. For many Spaniards, it is the best part of the paella and should be the thickness of a grain of rice. Once the liquid has evaporated, place the paella over high heat. White smoke will rise. Don’t panic, but remove the paella from the heat as soon as the smoke becomes sharp.
- The finishing touch: arrange the additions (such as chicken or seafood) on the rice and let them heat through.
Stupid mistakes when making paella
Of course, do what you want, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Paella should contain no more than four to six ingredients; otherwise, the number of flavors becomes excessive. More paella mistakes to avoid:
- Cured meats do not belong in paella. Jamie Oliver received heaps of criticism when he added chorizo to his “paella recipe.” Valencians considered it sacrilege.
- Using the wrong rice. Basmati rice or quick-cooking rice? Better not. The right rice is short-grain, such as the aforementioned bomba or calasparra. They absorb plenty of liquid and flavor without becoming overcooked. Don’t try to be healthy by using brown rice for paella either; it has no place in this iconic dish.
- Paella is not risotto. The rice should be dry and separate, not creamy or sticky. Too much stock or cooking for too long = rice pudding = wrong.
- Stirring during cooking. Restrain yourself! Once again: paella is not risotto. If you stir, you break the grain structure and won’t get a socarrat (that delicious crispy crust on the bottom).
- Throwing in too many ingredients. Some people turn paella into a kind of “everything-in-the-fridge” dish. But paella is all about simplicity and balance. Save your peas for another time.
- Not making sofrito. Anyone who skips paella’s flavor base ends up with a bland dish.
And a fun fact: paella has a ‘free zone’; anyone who doesn’t want an ingredient places it in the middle of the pan.
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