The CookingBites Cookalong: Paella

[Morning Glory]

Have you ever cooked Paella? If not, then now is your chance to try! If you have cooked it before, you can share your wisdom and cook along too. The idea of the Cookalong is that members cook a classic dish within a certain timescale and share their experience. Its a bit of fun and a chance to learn. The new challenge is the famous Spanish dish Paella

I’ve included my seafood paella recipe in the next post as a possible starting point. I’m not claiming its ‘authentic’ - its an amalgam of various other recipes plus trial and error! Its one I’ve used for years but I vary the ingredients, sometimes leaving out the chicken, sometimes adding squid or fish. There are plenty of other recipes available. As Valencian chef Llorenç Millo observes, "paella has as many recipes as there are villages, and nearly as many as there are cooks”. Some versions contain chicken and rabbit and no seafood. There are also vegetarian/vegan versions. Paella is all about the rice (and saffron) and you need to use paella rice if you possibly can.

You don’t need a specialist paella pan - any wide fairly shallow pan will suffice. For years I used a large non-stick frying pan with foil as a lid. But there is one golden rule where paella is concerned; once the stock is added to the rice it is not stirred. Its not a stir fry! The undisturbed rice should form a delicious golden, saffron flavoured crust on the bottom of the pan. This is known as the socarrat.

Here are some possibly useful links:
http://www.paellapans.com/tips-techniques-a/133.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/18/how-to-cook-perfect-paella
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zester-daily/paella-recipe_b_3891487.html

Please add your comments, photos, experiences to this thread. Provisional closing date Monday 22nd May, but we can be flexible if people haven't had time and want to participate. Please do say if you are intending to join in!

 

[Morning Glory]

Basic Seafood Paella

Ingredients (serves 4)
300g boneless, skinless chicken cut into pieces (I used thigh)
225g paella rice
500ml chicken or fish stock
A large pinch of saffron
2 tbsp oil
A generous splash of white wine (optional)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/3 of a tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp paprika (smoked or unsmoked)
12 large raw prawns, shelled
20 live mussels

Method

• Stir the saffron strands into the stock and set aside to allow the flavours to develop.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a paella pan or a large deep frying pan with a lid. Fry the chicken over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the meat is starting to turn golden around the edges. Set aside.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the onion, garlic and chopped pepper. Cook gently until they soften. Add the rice, turning it to coat all the grains.
• Add the tomatoes, paprika and the stock. Salt to taste. Add the wine, if using. Bring to the boil and simmer uncovered for ten minutes. Do not stir.
• Add the chicken, prawns and mussels, tucking them in to the rice. Scatter the peas over the dish. Cover and cook gently for a further 8-10 minutes until the prawns cook through and the mussels open. Leave the dish to stand covered for ten minutes before serving
• Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.

 

[Ken Natton]

You see, my problem is, the moment I put the prawns and the mussels in,there is only one person in this house who is going to eat it. And that is me. Does paella freeze and reheat? ...

 

[Ken Natton]

Seriously, are paella and risotto similar or completely different?

 

[MypinchofItaly]

Have you ever cooked Paella? If not, then now is your chance to try! If you have cooked it before, you can share your wisdom and cook along too. The idea of the Cookalong is that members cook a classic dish within a certain timescale and share their experience. Its a bit of fun and a chance to learn. The new challenge is the famous Spanish dish Paella

View attachment 6914

I’ve included my seafood paella recipe in the next post as a possible starting point. I’m not claiming its ‘authentic’ - its an amalgam of various other recipes plus trial and error! Its one I’ve used for years but I vary the ingredients, sometimes leaving out the chicken, sometimes adding squid or fish. There are plenty of other recipes available. As Valencian chef Llorenç Millo observes, "paella has as many recipes as there are villages, and nearly as many as there are cooks”. Some versions contain chicken and rabbit and no seafood. There are also vegetarian/vegan versions. Paella is all about the rice (and saffron) and you need to use paella rice if you possibly can.

You don’t need a specialist paella pan - any wide fairly shallow pan will suffice. For years I used a large non-stick frying pan with foil as a lid. But there is one golden rule where paella is concerned; once the stock is added to the rice it is not stirred. Its not a stir fry! The undisturbed rice should form a delicious golden, saffron flavoured crust on the bottom of the pan. This is known as the socarrat.

Here are some possibly useful links:
http://www.paellapans.com/tips-techniques-a/133.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/18/how-to-cook-perfect-paella
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zester-daily/paella-recipe_b_3891487.html

Please add your comments, photos, experiences to this thread. Provisional closing date Monday 22nd May, but we can be flexible if people haven't had time and want to participate. Please do say if you are intending to join in!

I've never cooked paella but that's could be a time to start. I love rice so maybe I'll cook paella with more enjoy!

 

[Morning Glory]

You see, my problem is, the moment I put the prawns and the mussels in,there is only one person in this house who is going to eat it. And that is me. Does paella freeze and reheat? ...

Paella does not have to be seafood paella. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. Make it with just chicken and chorizo perhaps? There are arguments about the authenticity of using chorizo, but if you like it, use it.

 

[Morning Glory]

Seriously, are paella and risotto similar or completely different?

The main difference is that paella isn't creamy at all. A good risotto is creamy and unctuous. Paella has separate grains of rice and the 'crust' underneath. They are like chalk and cheese.

 

[GadgetGuy]

I'd like nothing more than to make this dish, but call it non-authentic if you like.

Because I just can't put all that seafood in it! Too much & too expensive, and it is only me! I'd put some scallops. shrimp, clams and chicken in it. That would be about it.

I'm on a tight budget.

 

[Morning Glory]

I'd like nothing more than to make this dish, but call it non-authentic if you like.

Because I just can't put all that seafood in it! Too much, and it is only me! I'd put some scallops. shrimp, clams and chicken in it. That would be about it.

The recipe above is for 4 people. You do not need to put seafood in it at all if you don't want to. My recipe is simply an example - Paella isn't a seafood dish (although it can be).

Scallops, shrimp, clam and chicken sounds wonderful! I really hope you try it. Do you have a suitable pan? Need I ask?

 

[Morning Glory]

You see, my problem is, the moment I put the prawns and the mussels in,there is only one person in this house who is going to eat it. And that is me. Does paella freeze and reheat? ...

Yes to both. But probably best to make a paella that your family will like and make it a non-seafood paella. I am sad that you are the only one in your family who eats seafood. It must be lonely.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Because of seafood being so expensive, I'd have to get it a little at a time and put it in the freezer until I'm ready to do it. As for the saffron, I still have yet to get that, which is kind of expensive also.

Everything else, I either have, or can get easily.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Have you ever cooked Paella? If not, then now is your chance to try! If you have cooked it before, you can share your wisdom and cook along too. The idea of the Cookalong is that members cook a classic dish within a certain timescale and share their experience. Its a bit of fun and a chance to learn. The new challenge is the famous Spanish dish Paella

View attachment 6914

I’ve included my seafood paella recipe in the next post as a possible starting point. I’m not claiming its ‘authentic’ - its an amalgam of various other recipes plus trial and error! Its one I’ve used for years but I vary the ingredients, sometimes leaving out the chicken, sometimes adding squid or fish. There are plenty of other recipes available. As Valencian chef Llorenç Millo observes, "paella has as many recipes as there are villages, and nearly as many as there are cooks”. Some versions contain chicken and rabbit and no seafood. There are also vegetarian/vegan versions. Paella is all about the rice (and saffron) and you need to use paella rice if you possibly can.

You don’t need a specialist paella pan - any wide fairly shallow pan will suffice. For years I used a large non-stick frying pan with foil as a lid. But there is one golden rule where paella is concerned; once the stock is added to the rice it is not stirred. Its not a stir fry! The undisturbed rice should form a delicious golden, saffron flavoured crust on the bottom of the pan. This is known as the socarrat.

Here are some possibly useful links:
http://www.paellapans.com/tips-techniques-a/133.htm
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/aug/18/how-to-cook-perfect-paella
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zester-daily/paella-recipe_b_3891487.html

Please add your comments, photos, experiences to this thread. Provisional closing date Monday 22nd May, but we can be flexible if people haven't had time and want to participate. Please do say if you are intending to join in!

That DOES look good though!

 

[buckytom]

What is paella rice? I've never seen a rice named that.

Short grain, long grain, medium grain, wild, basmati, jasmine, texmati, brown, light brown, converted, etc... But never paella rice.

 

[Morning Glory]

What is paella rice? I've never seen a rice named that.

Short grain, long grain, medium grain, wild, basmati, jasmine, texmati, brown, light brown, converted, etc... But never paella rice.

'Paella rice' is not actually a variety of rice, but a generic term for rice that is suitable for making paella. Paella rice should not stick together, but be distinct and not in a creamy 'sauce' as in a risotto. Some recipe suggest substituting risotto rice but this will lead to a sticky result IMHO. . Spanish rice is rounded and short and it absorbs liquid well so it it stay slightly firm during cooking. The rice grains absorb flavour from the liquid - the rice should be dry and separate when done, not creamy like risotto.

Short-grain rice is essential for paella – preferably Spanish Bomba - (which is sometimes sold as Valencia rice) or Calasparra.

If you want to get technical - this is why:

Bomba, also called Valencia Rice, is a short grain, almost round rice, with a pearly color. It absorbs three times its volume in water as opposed to the average rice grain, which absorbs only twice its volume. This means it absorbs more flavor, and does not stick together. For these reasons, bomba rice is highly prized by cooks. Another difference with the bomba variety is in the way it expands during the cooking process. Instead of cracking open along with length of the grain, it breaks open crosswise and as it cooks, and it expands like an accordion until it reaches three times the length of the raw grain..

https://www.thespruce.com/the-best-rice-for-paella-3082839

Apparently, in the USA, purchasing these varieties can be difficult. Websites I've trawled suggest using a medium or short grain rice or (if you can obtain it) Calrose. Apparently there is a also a widely available medium-grain rice sold by Goya which is also suitable - although if check Walmart all the Goya rice products are 'ready-made' seasoned rice. However, it seems Walmarts do sell the Calrose:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Botan-Calrose-Rice-5-Lb/10451689



Looking at American recipes I see a mixed picture: Martha Stewart suggests risotto rice (I wouldn't recommend that), Tyler Florence lists short grain Spanish rice. I'd say try to get the Calrose. If not use short grain rice but not a risotto rice.

 

[LadyBelle]

I'm so excited!! Will post pics after the weekend. I'm off to a folk festival in wildest Wales, so will be wifi free until I'm home. On the Friday we'll be having a paella party for our first night of clamping. I love cooking paella on a glamping stove outdoors. Mine recipe is not at all authentic but it is tasty and goes down well with a crowd.

1 red onion diced
100g chorizo
325g paella rice
1 litre chicken stock
1 red pepper diced
200g raw prawns
200g chicken
100g peas
1tsp each of chilli, cumin, garlic paprika, saffron

Fry onion, chicken and chorizo until browned, add rice and stir for a minute. Add spices, red pepper and chicken stock, bring to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer for 20 minus or until the stock is mostly absorbed. Add prawns and peas and cook until prawns are cooked.

I chop and change ingredients, have made rabbit instead of chicken, also replaced meat with seafood. If I can get fresh mussels I also add them.