In his backyard with a massive open fire |
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In our upcoming summer issue, Bon Appétit guest editor José Andrés invites us into his backyard kitchen to show us how to throw a genuine Valencian feast. And yes, it’s replicable at home.
As a boy, my family would go to the mountains on weekends, and my father would cook paella for family, friends, and anyone who happened to be nearby. When more people showed up, he would just throw another handful of rice in the pan. That’s the magic of paella: It can feed a crowd of many sizes very well.
Spending time outside with the people you love, a drink in hand, with some tapas and small bites. That’s how they do it in Valencia, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain where the dish was born, and how you can continue the tradition. You’ll need a pan—the dish itself is named after the wide, flat pan that farmers would take into the fields to cook one-pot meals using what was available to them. And a heat source: I know not everyone can build a wood-burning paella pit in their backyard (though maybe you’ll be inspired to!). You can also use your grill or even a gas stove, or invest in an outdoor burner with a tripod.
Invite your friends over, open a few bottles of wine, and put out some simple tapas to snack on while you tend the rice. I like to serve pan con tomate, the simple tomato-topped bread from Catalunya, a few cheeses, slices of jamón, marinated olives, tinned fish and chips, maybe a seafood salad like salpicón. A little something for everyone. Add each ingredient to the pan and keep an eye on the flames. Every paella you cook will be different. And if more friends show up unannounced, just throw in another handful of rice. There’s always room for more. |
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Choosing a Pan
If you are cooking directly over fire, a traditional steel paellera is best. It’s more responsive to temperature changes in the flames, but requires more careful cleaning and drying. For gas rings or stoves, carbon steel or enameled work well, and are easier to maintain. If you normally cook for 4 to 6 people, get a 15" pan. The large circumference allows the rice to cook through while a crispy socarrat forms on the bottom of the pan. Paella is an art, people: Listen to your ingredients, to your heat, to your pan, and you’ll get the best result.
Selecting Your Rice
Any rice you find that’s grown in Spain and labeled Paella Rice will work. It might be Bomba, a short-grain rice that’s almost round, or a handful of other varieties like Bahía or J. Sendra. (Don’t get the variety confused with the Protected Designation of Origin, the PDO, like Calasparra PDO, which simply means the rice comes from the municipality of Calasparra.) Paella rices expand to three times their size as they absorb the stock they’re cooking in, which is why each grain is so full of flavor.
Water or Stock?
Either one can deliver a great result. If you start with water, you’ll essentially be making your own stock in the pan as you cook. Stock—like the wood-fired ones made by El Paeller in Valencia—just gives you a head start on the process. Remember that your pan’s shape affects the cooking; the larger and flatter it is, the faster the liquid will evaporate.
What to Pour
The most classic wine to serve with paella is bubbles. Spanish, of course! It’s not all Cava—the world of Spanish sparkling wines has expanded over the last decade, so you will find incredible bottles that aren’t labeled as Cava, like ones from the newer designation Corpinnat. Keep a special eye out for the wines of Raventós i Blanc, made by my friend Pepe Raventós. I will never say no to a glass of Manzanilla sherry or Albariño while I’m cooking, and I’d love a Rioja or a Mencía from Bierzo, like the ones made by the legendary Raúl Pérez, with the meal. And it doesn’t hurt to have a porrón on hand for your guests to drink out of, to add some life to the party.
Cookbook
Spain My Way: Eat, Drink, and Cook Like a Spaniard
Find tapas recipes, essays, and more in my new cookbook. |
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Dear Bon Appétit
Our cooking advice column is open for submissions—ask us a question! We’re here to help you get dinner (and lunch and breakfast) on the table.
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Dear Bon Appétit
Our cooking advice column is open for submissions—ask us a question! We’re here to help you get dinner (and lunch and breakfast) on the table.
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Paella de Pollo con Verduras |
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More José Andrés Recipes Worth Bookmarking |
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