A good paella, in culinary terms, depends more on the proportions than the category of its ingredients; it is a correct, mathematical equation of its four basic elements: oil, water, fire and its cooking utensil, to which we can also add the experience, imagination and
inspiration of the cook.–Lourdes March, “The Valencian Paella — its Origin, Tradition and Universality”
Cena Española — Part II
After a refreshing course of gazpacho, and a Spanish-themed tabla de quesos y embutidos (charcuterie board), it was time to bring out the main dish: a large seafood paella, that I placed in the middle of the table, still warm from the oven. Paella was, after all, the raison d’être of the whole dinner and the idea that had engendered all the other concoctions that made it to the table that evening.
Tabla de quesos y embutidos (clockwise from top left): Cabra Romero, chorizo, Valdeón, grapes from the garden, Mahón, Maldon salt
Settling on the idea of making paella the centrepiece of our dinner party was really the least of the choices my sister and I had to make, Penelope Casas has no fewer than 71 recipes in the rice section of her classic cookbook 1,000 Spanish Recipes, most of which are paellas. There were many intriguing options, from duck, grape and nut to rabbit, spinach and artichoke, or even pork and pomegranate. Of course, my family expected a seafood paella, complete with the blue sheen of mussel shells, and in a way, so did I. It was, for better or worse, the image of paella that had made it to North America, rabbit and duck be damned.
Flipping through the 71 rice dishes detailed by Casas, a recipe for monkfish paella caught my eye. Here is the short description that prefaced the recipe: “the relatively mild taste of monkfish is complemented by the slightly pungent Swiss chard and the nutty flavor of sesame seeds. I recommend sprinkling more sesame seeds on this finished rice as it creates a wonderful, crunchy texture.”
Perhaps it is the Asianophile in me, but in my mind, sesame seeds and rice have an unfailing affinity for each other, and the thought of sprinkling freshly toasted sesame as a finishing touch on a dish fills me a sense of satisfaction and competence. There were no mussels in the recipe, but I could easily add those in, as well as any other showy seafood I could get my hands on. It seemed like a reasonable compromise. My family would ooh at their anticipated seafood cornucopia, and I would get to toast and grind sesame to my heart’s (or rather, my nose’s) content.
On the day of the celebration, my sister and I went shopping together for the ingredients, but first, we visited a kitchen supply store. The silent deliberation had been running through my head all week: to buy or not to buy (a paella pan)?
Garlic, Parsley and Smoked Paprika Paste
A paella pan certainly isn’t a necessary requirement. You can make a perfectly acceptable paella in a large cast iron pan or two, although when your guests surpass 4, it becomes increasingly difficult to do so. The idea is not to stack the rice too deep, or else the broth won’t evaporate as effectively, and you risk ending up with a very large pile of mush, instead of slightly crispy but well-cooked rice.
Of course, deciding to enter the store was in itself an indication that I had already made up my mind, because running my fingers around the rim of the shiny stainless steel pans, surrounded by meticulously displayed state-of-the-art cooking equipment and friendly, knowledgeable staff, the choice was rather unequivocal. And I knew that from the beginning.
Quick Paella Size Guide
2-3 people 12-inch (30cm) skillet or paella pan
4-5 people 16-inch (40cm) paella pan
6-8 people 18 to 20-inch (45-50cm) paella pan
Rice Rhapsody
Next came the supermarket, and perhaps the most important decision of all: what rice to buy (and does it matter)?
The Spanish word for rice, arroz, comes from the Arabic roz. Indeed, it was the Arabs who introduced rice to the peninsula, in the Early Middle Ages. With this new crop, they also brought Berber peasants from North Africa to cultivate it, a practice which continued well into the seventeenth century. Rice quickly became a staple in the Mediterranean regions of Catalonia, Murcia and Valencia, where rice was first grown. These regions continue to produce high-quality short- and medium-grain rice varieties (read more about rice varieties and their uses in this post) that are now protected by Denominaciones de Origen: Arroz del Delta del Ebro, Arroz de Valencia and Calasparra.
Although you do not have to hunt specifically for these indigenous varieties, when making paella, you want to go for a medium-grain or paella rice, which has a high enough amylopectin content to allow it to absorb the delicious saffron-scented broth, but not so high that it will lose its shape during the cooking process. If you cannot find Spanish rice, you can also use an Italian risotto rice, such as Arborio, Vialone Nano or Carnaroli.
Once you have found a suitable rice variety, here are a few other things to keep in mind before you heat your paella pan, courtesy of cookbook author and cultural anthropologist Claudia Roden:
In Spain, rice is never soaked or washed before cooking. Stock is almost always used to cook it, not water, and the stock has to be boiling when it comes in contact with the rice […] When cooking rice, you add all the stock at once, unlike when making risotto, and you stir only once with a wooden spoon, then leave the rice alone. You do not keep stirring throughout the cooking, because that would break some grains and release the starch that gives Italian risotto its creamy, slightly sticky texture—something that is not desirable in a Spanish rice dish.
I like to be parsimonious with the amount of rice I eat, because although it doesn’t contain anything harmful, it doesn’t contain much nutrition either. It is basically glucose, with not much in terms of fibre, vitamins and minerals. For this recipe, I added a head of “riced” cauliflower. Mixed in with the rice, you don’t notice it, but you get the added benefit of extra fibre and micronutrients. I think it is a good compromise between the traditional high-carb dish and the low-carb, stictly paleo, and definitely inauthentic alternative. Your long-term metabolic health might thank you! Of course, if you prefer to be a traditionalist (or perhaps you denigrate the low-carb movement and its fanatical reverence for the colourless cruciferious), a good rule of thumb is to use 1/2 cup of rice per person.
Seafood Schmeafood
The original recipe used monkfish, but since monkfish is not widely available here in Victoria, I chose fresh cod instead. You can also opt for snapper, sea bass, halibut, or other white-fleshed fish. In terms of shellfish, I chose scallops (already shelled), and prawns and mussels (in their shells). Squid, lobster or crab would also be delicious! Don’t worry about the specifics: buy what is available and suits your budget.
Joëlle
Serves 6-10
A saffron-scented party hit, this seafood paella pairs mussels, fish, prawns and scallops with chard and nutty sesame seeds. A combination of rice and cauliflower makes this recipe a nice compromise between paleo dogma and tradition -- although you can certainly adjust the proportions to suit your preferences!
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Ingredients
- 1/3 cup sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika
- Pinch of salt
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 cup water
- 14 mussels in their shells
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1/2 lb cod
- 14 large prawns (skin on)
- 1 cup scallops
- 1 1/2 cups paella rice
- 1 cauliflower, roughly chopped
- ¾ pound Swiss chard, well washed and thick stems trimmed
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
- 1 small tomato, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
- Toast sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant. Gently grind the seeds in a mortar to break them up (but not so much that you end up with a paste). Transfer seeds to a small bowl.
- In the same mortar, add the parsley paste ingredients and mash until you have a pesto-like paste. Enjoy the smell. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
- Cut the chard to separate the stems from the leaves, and coarsely chop each. Place the cauliflower pieces in a food processor and pulse until they are reduced to rice-like proportions. Prepare the rest of the vegetables as indicated in the ingredient section.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In medium saucepan, place the mussels, clam juice and water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, removing the mussels as they open. Discard any unopened mussels, and reduce the heat to low.
- In a mortar, grind saffron with a pinch of salt to a powder to release the aroma. Pour a bit of the seafood broth into the mortar, swish it around and pour it back into the saucepan. Repeat this process until all the saffron is in the broth. Keep the broth on low heat while you prepare the paella.
- Heat the oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the cod, prawns and scallops and cook, stirring, about 1 minute (they should not be fully cooked because they will continue to cook in the oven). Transfer to a platter.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, the onion, shallots, and chard stems, and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened. Add the tomato and cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat it well with the pan mixture. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Stir in the mortar mixture and cook until the bubbles rising from the pan look slightly thick. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds and the chard leaves.
- Transfer to the oven and bake about 10 minutes or until the rice is almost al dente, tender yet still firm to the bite. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining sesame seeds and parsley. Serve hot.
Notes
Adapted from Penelope Casas, 1,000 Spanish recipes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2014).
Calories
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References
Casas, P. (2014). 1,000 Spanish recipes. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
March, L., & . (1989). Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery 1988: The Cooking Pot (pp. 102–108). London: Prospect Books Ltd.
Roden, C. (2012). The Food of Spain. London: Michael Joseph.
