Paella Recipes?

Nope, they are not exactly the same though Jambalaya is based on Paella according to some.

I am by no means an expert but I have put in a good bit of time learning about Paella. One thing that took me a long time to learn is less is more. Putting too many things in takes away from it. Paella is a rice dish, adding to many ingredients takes away from that.

Use the best ingredients you can. Bomba rice from Spain is the best but if all you can get is Aborio rice (risotto) that will work. You want a short grain rice that will absorb the liquid and flavors. American long grain rice will just not cut it. Use Spanish smoked paprika. Nothing else will work as a substitute.

Do not put a cover on the pan and do not stir or mix after you add in the rice. I have never cooked this over an open wood flame but that is the traditional way. Using a proper Paella pan is key but not essential if you have a large flat bottomed pan.

Here is a recipe that works for me, YMMV. I tend to wing things so measurements may be close but not perfect.

1 1/2 cups Bomba rice
2 tbs Smoked Spanish paprika
1 package saffron (I guess like 1/2 tsp)
1 lb squid cut into to rings (include tentacles)
1 Monk fish tail cut into 1" cubes
10-12 small clams or mussels
1 onion chopped fine
4-5 cloves of garlic in the skins
3-4 cups of fish stock or chicken stock
Salt to taste (rice soak up the salt so I go heavy)
Top quality extra virgin olive oil

Heat the stock and add the saffron to steep. Another option is to grind the saffron and salt together in a mortar and pestle. Heat pan and add a liberal dose of olive oil. Add the garlic and cook until the flavor releases. Keeping the skins on prevents the garlic from burning. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the paprika and squid cook for a minute or so. Add the salt and saffron or the saffron and stock. Bring the stock to a boil and then add the rice.

Stir the rice once to distribute and then bring to a low boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. As the liquid starts to reduce place the Monk fish and clams around evenly. Continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed. The rice should be just sticking to the bottom of the pan but not burning.

Remove from the heat and cover the pan with foil for about ten minuets then serve.

Enjoy with a good Spanish red wine. You can add green flat beans, Chorizo, roasted red peppers etc but again less is more.

This is a seafood based Paella but another good option is to pan brown Rabbit or chicken in the oil and then add Chorizo instead of the seafood.

La Tienda is an importer of Spanish foods and a great source of info Google it and you will find a ton of info. Also Mario Batalli did a great PBS show a few years ago called "Spain on the road again". It opened my eyes to real Paella. Good luck and good eating.

I have been looking to try a Paella cook myself and have watched several chefs on the Food Network but never tried it. Cigarbque, your recipe looks fantastic. Will definitely have to give it a try if I can find the right ingredients.

Ahhh, Paella - love it! Good advice from Cigar. Most of the long cook rice dishes have similarities but where most require stirring to release starches and thicken the dish (like Risotto), Paella ,after some early mixing, is left alone to cook. This is perhaps the hardest part to it (assuming your doing traditional Paella open over coals), judging doneness w/o the bottom (soccarat) burning. There are a bunch of good paella knock offs out there done in a skillet or other method that have the flavors but the "wow factor" with traditional paella is the soccarat which because the dish is not stirred the bottom 1/4 inch caramelizes creating tons of flavor - just like good bark in BBQ! We did a paella party a while back. Here is the recipe I used. Pause. Pause. Pause. Okay, I'm gonna have to locate that recipe. Apparently didn't file it very well on my computer. I know it was a traditional recipe (not a huge ingredient list) I found by a Spanish ex pat. If your cooking for a group do a practice run with just the base ingredients before going live. I also found that even though I spread out the coals very evenly in my kettle I was still getting hotspots so I kept rotating the pan (but of course did not stir it).

This is my version, I call it a "mock" or quick paella as it's not cooked the traditional way but is more of a regular kitchen dish. If you don't have a paella pan you need to use the biggest skillet you have.

Harry's Mock/Quick Paella

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
2 hot Italian sausage
1 red bell pepper, best if pre-cooked in olive oil.
1/2 large white or yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 large or 2 medium tomatoes
10 strands saffron
1/2 tsp paprika
2 chicken bullion cubes
2 tbl olive oil
1 3/4 cup water
1/4 cup beer
splash of red wine
1 1/4 cup long grain rice

Cut up and cook in large skillet the chicken and sausage in the oil.
After a few minutes, add the onion, garlic, pepper.
While this is cooking, heat the water and beer with the bullion cubes in the microwave till hot. (1 1/2 minutes).
After about 10 minutes total cooking of the chicken/sausage mixture (it is browned) add the hot water.
Add the saffron, paprika, tomatoes, wine and rice to the skillet. Stir well.
Cover and cook for 10 minutes at medium-low, turn down to low for another 5 minutes (to cook rice).
Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes or so at medium-low.
After a while you want to hear a sizzle, which means you are getting the soccarat (crispy layer on rice).
Move the pan around to distribute the heat and get an even soccarat.
Lift some of the rice slightly to see that it is browned not burned, esp in the middle.
After it is slightly brown and crispy on bottom it is ready.

I can send you the recipe tonight, but I really liked this... it's got grilled Spanish chorizo, shrimp, chicken, clams, mussels and white fish. The initial broth is made by boiling the shrimp shells, which gives it a nice flavor along with the saffron. It's meant to be cooked on a live fire, too. I think it's a Jamie Oliver recipe.

Smoothsmoke said:

Also is Jambalaya the same as Paella?

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They are not the same, but they probably have a common ancestor. Both are seasoned rice dishes with bits of meat and/or seafood, etc., added. Both can be served as a main dish. Jambalaya uses long grain rice, cajun seasonings, and often includes andouille sausage, tasso ham, and might include chicken, shrimp, or other bayou staples. Paella uses short grain rice, is almost always seasoned with safron, and usually includes chorizo sausage, chicken, lobster, mussels, etc. The paellas I have eaten usually have "whole" pieces of meat, eg whole chorizo, whole lobster tail, etc.; jambalayas usually have the meat chopped into bite sized pieces as opposed to whole (except shrimp).

--frank in Wilson, NY, and an ex-New Orleanian, so I knows my jambalaya.

Smoothsmoke said:

Bomba or Aborio rice is very key. I'm not sure if I can find this at my local Super Market. Perhaps a specialized Latino market? Is Jazmin rice to long?

Thank you all who responded. I'm soaking in the information!!!!

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Bomba or other rice from Spain you will need to find in a specialty store like a gourmet cooking supply place or order on-line from La Tienda. Aborio rice can be found in the international section of most grocery stores. Aborio is used to make risotto so it is easy to find. One thng to remeber is that if you went to 20 different homes in Valencia they would cook Paella 20 different ways.

Check this place out, they have really great service. And Cigarcue is correct, I make mine different just about every time I make it, sometimes just seafood, sometimes just chicken, whatever the mood is.
http://www.tienda.com/aboutus/about.html