Valencian Paella
Rice done right
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I’m the sort of person who likes to deep dive into a food culture. At one point, I became obsessed with Paella.
I knew that authentic Valencian Paella was nothing like the abomination I had been subjected to back in the UK, which was more like a risotto filled with prawns, chicken and chorizo. But I didn’t know how different until I visited Valencia.
The thin layer of rice. The socorrat - the crispy bit at the bottom of the pan that everyone fights over. The fact that you should never ever stir it while it’s cooking.
I spent hours online researching the most authentic recipes, cooking paella after paella in the pan I’d brought back in my hand luggage from Valencia. And I got pretty good.
This week, I returned to my love of paella, making it on the scant equipment in my current Airbnb down in Southern Spain.
Although the basics of Paella are sacred, the extra ingredients are pretty flexible making it a perfect S+S recipe. You can also make it in a frying pan - as I often do on the road - no special paella pan required.
The authentic recipe will always start with the basics: Rice (the bomba variety is the easiest to work with), garlic, tomato, and olive oil. Aside from that, you can use varying types of meat or fish (although rarely together), beans and vegetables.
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Serves 4
Extra virgin olive oil