Paella, The National Dish of Spain

My friend Catherine, who is also a personal chef recently posted on her face book page, pictures of her participating in a Paella challenge cook off in San Antonio Texas. She has inspired me to share something I’ve been meaning to do for a while.

As I sit here in my office watching the snow slowly melt, I’m thinking, warmer weather is on its way and I can’t wait to get cooking back outside. I do a lot of BBQing and grilling in catering and for my friends and family. Last summer I also did a lot of paella parties and look forward to doing the same this warm weather season.

Near the end of last summer my friends and fellow baseball parents, Fatima and Jimmy, invited the team, coaches and family over for a party soon after our kids played a week of tournaments in Cooperstown N.Y. I offered to bring one of my large paella burners and a matching in size pan to add to the grilled and other foods. Some of these photos are from that event.

I love making paella; it’s a dish that really brings people together especially when I’m cooking it outdoors during a party. Everyone gathers around to watch and I enjoy telling the guest about paella and the step by step of what I’m doing. I’ve discovered the making of the paella often becomes part of the party entertainment.

For most parties I offer the basic paella that most are used to, saffron, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, little neck clams, mussels and squid but I’ve done all kinds of paellas even vegetarian versions. Last summer while attending the USPCA conference in Washington D.C., I went out with some chef friends including Catherine, to Jose Andrea’s restaurant Jaleo where we had a chef tasting menu including a squid ink paella. Awesome stuff ! In fact, a couple, who seemed to be amused to be sitting next to our table of eager to taste chefs, traveled a distance to just order the black paella.

Notice the pic of the rice cross, this is a traditional ode to Jesus. I also do the cross, I don’t fit religion into my menus, I cook for everyone and all kinds of events from Baptisims to bar Mitzvahs but I do the cross in honor of the tradition and I’ve also discovered that it helps me judge the amount of rice. I’m often too busy cooking to actually measure every ingredient.

I also use the traditional Spanish Bomba rice. The Bomba rice is grown slowly in mountain waters. It expands in width and regular rice expands in length. I saw a lot of bags labeled Bomba in restaurants while visiting Spain last year. I also had some fine paella.

Once the paella is done, it should have a caramelized crust on the bottom of the rice. This crust is called La soccarat.

I could talk about paella all day, there’s a lot to tell.

I’ll be teaching a paella class at the Sherbourn- Dover adult Ed soon.  

Is it warm enough yet for my next-door neighbor to bring over a pitcher of sangria for a neighborhood paella feast?  Photo below is Danny, a baseball dad. Everyone is happy when they're at a paella party.