Fry Pan Paella

Barcelona.  Just saying the name conjures up images, doesn’t it? The architecture. The history. The Catalan culture. The Mediterranean beaches. Let’s go!  Oh wait.  I can’t – the bank account won’t permit it, for one thing. I can’t physically travel to Spain right now but I still enjoy the culture through their cuisine, and today that’s paella.

You’ve probably avoided paella because you’ve heard about special pans and hard-to-fines-and-expensive rice. I’m going to show you how to make paella right now using common ingredients and tools.

NOTE: Complete recipe at the end of the article.

The Pan

Traditionally, paella is made in a dedicated paella pan, the upper pan in the adjacent image.  It is a flat-bottom pan with shallow sides and handles on opposing sides. One of the important aspects of making paella is that the rice is spread out in a thin layer – typically no more than a 1/2 inch thick.  This means that serving more people = larger diameter pan. Paella pans come in sizes ranging from 8-inchs to 60-inches in diameter.

Another unique thing about traditional paella pans is that they are very sightly convex, meaning that the center of the bottom is lower than the sides.  That’s great on a gas stove or grill but doesn’t work so well on a glass, ceramic, or induction cooktop.  Special paella pans are made however with a perfectly flat bottom.

Since all we really need is a flat-bottom pan with shallow sides, almost any fry pan will work fine. If you start making paella frequently – or for guests – you may want to consider getting a real paella pan later.

The Rice

Traditionally, paella is made with a very short-grained rice called Bomba Rice. Bomba rice absorbs more liquid than any other rice.  (Bomba rice will absorb 3 times it’s volume by the time it gets to al dente.)

The problems with Bomba rice are that it is not commonly found in your neighborhood supermarket, and it is expensive ($12-$14 for a 1 kilo bag).

The good news is that common ordinary Arborio rice (the same rice we use for risotto) is inexpensive, can be found in every supermarket, and works just as well. (We use so much Arborio rice in my house that I buy it in a 25 pound bag for about $44.)

The Stock (Liquid)

One important thing to understand about any rice dish is that the flavor of the rice wil come mostly fro the liquid it absorbs.

I’ve tested many different chicken stocks for this recipe and the hands-down winner is Better Than Bouillion Roasted Chicken Base.  In fact it is so good that you could use it as a soup. Lots of flavor. When I tasted the version of this recipe in which I used it for the first time I went “Yes!”.  It is a bit salty, so we won’t be adding any other salt to the recipe.  It is a concentrate, so it needs refrigerated after opening, but it will keep in your refrigerator for two years.

The Saffron

One of the signature paella ingredients is saffron. It is expensive, but you need only a tiny bit.  The pinch of saffron shown in the adjacent photo is the proper amount for this recipe.  The first few times I made paella I used too much saffron (about twice this amount) and it ruined the taste.

Now I’m going to share my secret saffron technique with you: Toast the saffron then grind it to a powder.  Put the saffron on some aluminum foil on a hot burner on your stove.  In a few seconds you’ll be able to smell the saffron and that means it’s time to remove it from the stove.  If you let the saffron turn black you must throw it away and start over.  Next, use a morter-and-pestle or a pair of spoons to grind the saffron to a powder.  This is easier than it sounds and takes just a couple of seconds.

Let’s Get Started!

I usually start by sautéing my ‘toppings’. The paella in the accompanying photo used bell peppers (red, green, and yellow) and some cut up chicken thigh meat from two boneless skinless chicken thighs. Add some olive oil to the fry pan and sauté the toppings over medium heat.  When they are done set them aside.

The Sofrito

Finely chop a quater of a yellow onion. (My food processor makes quick work of this)  Grate a large tomato. The technique I use is to cut the tomato in half and then use the palm of my hand to hold it against the grater. Discard the tomato skin.

Lower the heat to medium-low and sauté the onions just until softened. then add the tomato, 1/2 teaspoon of Spanish Sweet Smoked Paprika and 3 garlic cloves.

Simmer, stirring frequently. Your objective is to get the sofrito to a nice dark red color.  You are probably going to find the sofrito sticking to the bottom of the pan.  When that happens pour in a little bit of white wine and use a spatula to scrape the browned stick bit off the bottom and mix them back into the rest of the sofrito.

Making the sofrito will take about 30-40 minutes.

The Broth

At the same time you start the sofrito, put 4 cups of water, the appropriate amount of Roast Chicken Base, and the saffron is a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn the heat down so the broth is just barely simmering.

Time to Add The Rice and Broth

Pour one cup of arborio rice into the pan. Use a spoon or spatula to mix it thoroughly with the sofrito. Use the spatula to spread the rice-sofrito mixture evenly over the bottom of the fry pan.

Gently pour in two cups of the broth.  Once again, use a spatula to distribute the rice-sofrito mixture evenly.

From This point Forward The Rice Must be Left Undisturbed

Turn the heat down to low.  The objective is for the rice to become al dente at the same time as it absorbs all the broth.  For me, it never happens that way.  When the surface of the broth has fallen down even or just below the top of the rice, taste a few grains to see if they are done to your liking.  I usually find the rice is not cooked enough and so I’ll gently add scoop or two of broth. Check it again in 3-5 minutes and repeat if necessary.

Once the rice is done to your liking (I confess: I like mine a little more done than al dente) then turn the heat up to high.  Add the toppings, pushing them down into the rice a bit.

Your objective is to rapidly boil away any remaining broth, and caramelize the bottom layer of rice. When you hear the pan sizzling you know you’ve gotten to this point.  Grab a spoon. Stick it into the pan vertically.  When it hits the bottom of the pan see if you can move the spoon horizontally. Repeat this in several places in the pan. If you can move the spoon horizontally then the rice is not yet caramelized and sticking to the pan as it should.  Let it go another minute or two.

Scoop it out onto plates and enjoy.