This week’s recipe in honour of the Moors and Christians Festival of Villajoyosa, is of course, their classic dish, Paella Valenciana. I’ve written about paella before, so I won’t go into too much detail and instead include an easy recipe.
While it may horrify the experts, it is a delicious alternative for those who lack the necessary ingredients and equipment to make the real thing.
Spain’s most famous dish – Paella, pronounced pa-eh-ya
When Jamie Oliver wrote up a recipe for paella with chorizo, there was an uproar from the purists. There’s a lot of snobbery that goes on when it comes to getting a country’s national dish right.
And everyone’s an expert. It was immediately labelled ‘paellagate’; “They went medieval on me man. It was serious,” said Jamie Oliver on Graham Norton’s show. “It trended for weeks. And I had death threats and all sorts because of a bit of sausage” - many considered it an act of terrorism.
Clearly, people take their paella VERY seriously!
Valencia is the birth mother of this delicious saffron-flavoured rice dish. It has been an important rice producing region since rice was first introduced by the Moors in the 8th century.
The word arroz (rice) even comes from the Arabic and its round, pearly grain is perfect for paella. The cooking time and absorption properties differ with each variety, so as every Valencian cook will tell you, it’s essential to know your rice! There is no greater sin than overcooked and soggy rice. And chorizo, apparently.
The shape of the pan is round with a flat base and comes in various sizes. Its shallow depth is important to allow for even heat and maximum evaporation.
It was common for fishermen and peasants along the Mediterranean coast to whip up a rice and seafood dish for lunch over an open fire with the twigs and small branches that were around. The same would apply to labourers in the fields, throwing in whatever foodstuff was on hand, such as rabbit, chicken, snails and vegetables, typically tomatoes, onions and beans.
These days there are more than 200 types of paella dishes – the most popular being paella de marisco (seafood paella), paella mixta (mixed paella of meat and seafood), paella vegetariana (self-explanatory) and paella negra (black paella made from squid ink).
Ingredients for a simple chicken paella.
Rice
The best varieties are Bomba, Calasparra, or Senia because they absorb much more liquid than regular rice without getting mushy. If these varieties are impossible to find in your local supermarket, I find Arborio rice the next best option.
Chicken
Chicken can be substituted for your favourite meat, or omitted entirely for a vegetarian paella. If you’re using chicken however, brown the pieces first in the pan so they obtain a nice colour and caramelised flavour.
Sofrito
The sofrito is an important element of a paella because it’s where the most important flavours are created. It consists of onion, garlic, crushed or finely chopped tomatoes, saffron, paprika, and olive oil.
Vegetables
Green beans, peas, red pepper (capsicum), and/or artichoke hearts are the most common vegetables added to a paella, but the choice is yours. Go for veggies that give a touch of colour to the dish as well as flavour.
Water or stock
Traditionally only water is used in paella, but chicken or fish stock can add an extra dimension, especially in seafood paella. Consider the salt content if using a store-bought stock before adding extra salt to the dish.
How to make a simple paella.
There are few of us non-Spaniards who are fortunate enough to own a paella pan, so pull out the widest, flattest and heaviest frying pan you can find.
Add a generous splash of olive oil to cover the base of the pan and add the chopped chicken pieces. Brown the chicken but do not cook completely.
Remove the pieces from the pan and set aside.
To make the sofrito, add a finely chopped onion, a couple of finely chopped cloves of garlic, a can of crushed tomatoes (or two finely chopped medium-sized fresh tomatoes), the beans or other vegetables you have chosen to use, a tsp of paprika, and a few sprigs of saffron (or a tsp of saffron powder).
Sauté on a low heat until soft.
If using Arborio rice, rinse it well to remove as much of the starch as possible. Add enough rice to the sofrito to cover the base of the frying pan and stir well to coat the grains thoroughly.
Add enough water or stock to cover the rice mixture by 2 centimetres. You will be adding more liquid when it has reduced to avoid adding too much and ending up with a risotto or soup instead.
You can add the salt at this stage depending on how much rice you are cooking. It’s best to underestimate the quantity because you can always add more later in the cooking as you test the rice.
Add the chicken pieces and leave to simmer gently. Try to allow the rice to cook without stirring but if you have a pan that is so wide that the edges are not cooking, you may need to redistribute the rice occasionally.
Keep an eye on it as the liquid reduces. You will need to add more water/stock but test the rice first to see how much more it needs to cook. It’s essential you don’t add too much liquid at this point.
Once the rice is cooked but not too soft, (al dente), and all the liquid has been absorbed, turn off the heat and let rest a few minutes before serving.
Note: You may find the few saffron sprigs aren’t enough to give the paella its distinctive yellow colour. A dash of mild turmeric (not too much as the flavour can be strong) or paella food colouring can help boost the colour. Add it to the liquid when cooking the rice.
The useful tips to keep in mind:
Don’t put in too much water - better to have to add than try to take away.
Turn off the heat just before the rice is perfectly cooked and let it rest. The rice will continue to cook in the heat and absorb the rest of the liquid.
Don’t worry too much if the rice sticks to the bottom of the pan. This crunchy brown layer of the dish is known as ‘socarrat’ and is highly valued. It’s usually an indication of a perfectly cooked paella!
Outside Spain it can be difficult to find paella rice. As a substitute, I find the round grained Arborio rice does the job, but be careful to not overcook it. The rice starch will gelatinise very quickly once it’s reached its al dente stage and become soft and creamy and you’ll end up with a risotto, not a paella. But it’s certainly better than long-grain rice.
If you can’t get your hands on saffron, a substitute (for colour, rather than flavour) is to use turmeric.
Finally….don’t add chorizo… 🤣
If you try this recipe please let me know in the comments how it turned out!