Chicken and chorizo paella recipe | Jamie Oliver recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the most important ingredient in paella Why is it so important? ›

Rice is the most important ingredient in traditional paella, and choosing the right type of rice is crucial to achieving the perfect texture and flavor of the dish. Short-grain rice is preferred because it has the ability to absorb the liquid and flavors of the dish while maintaining its structure and texture.

Both Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay's go-to paella recipes include peas, chicken, chorizo and prawns. But new research has found that cooks from Valencia use just ten ingredients when making their national dish, none of which are fish.

In terms of the basic ingredients, paella is similar to a risotto. The main difference is paella doesn't require constant stirring. In fact, it's important not to stir it once the stock is added to ensure the delicious, light-golden crust, known as socarrat, forms on the base.

Bomba is the best rice for paella. It's not only authentic to the dish, but the results are almost always perfect. Calasparra rice is an excellent substitute if you can't get your hands on bomba rice. Arborio Rice can work if you can't get bomba or Calasparra.

Truly great paella also relies on a flavoursome stock, which you can make yourself using prawn heads, parsley, wine, saffron and cooking juices from the mussels. Traditionally, paella is cooked over an open fire which infuses the paella with an aromatic smoke.

Saffron is the most precious spice in the world and also a star ingredient in most paella dishes. Make the most of your paella night by using a high quality saffron.

What Can You Not Put in Paella? Real paella does not include many ingredients that go into other rice dishes. Some of these include onions, peas, mushrooms, carrots, and chorizo. While all good combinations with rice, these aren't part of the traditional paella recipes.

Skip the Boiling

Some recipes might direct you to boil fresh chorizo before grilling it. However, when you boil chorizo, the fat melts, resulting in dry sausage. If you're grilling chorizo, you can rotate your links often to ensure they cook thoroughly. Doing this can help you enjoy more flavorful chorizo!

Skip the onions.

While some paella recipes include onions, many chefs choose to leave them out. That's because onions contain a lot of moisture, which can make your paella rice soft.

To start, choose an Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Spain for this dish. It's what guarantees the best flavor and aromas. And to finish, once you turn off the stove, cover the paella with a dish towel and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Why is paella unhealthy? ›

Since Paella contains meats there is another concern beyond carbs and that is fat. While chicken is mostly regarded as lower in fat, you need to be careful about the types of seafood you put into it and also pork can be a bit high in fat content.

5. Cook uncovered: Cook paella uncovered for 15-18 minutes, then nestle the shrimp, mussels and calamari into the mixture, sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender.

Paella is a dry rice, and onions are a “wet” vegetable that adds unnecessary moistness to the dish (not to mention flavor). You don't want rice grains that are “open”, over-cooked. When this happens, we say that the arroz “se ha pasado,” is passed, and you better toss it. You don't want this to happen!

Best substitute for paella rice is risotto rice (arborio rice) which has similar characteristics ie. ability to absorb lots of liquid, except risotto goes creamy if you stir it. The next best is medium grain rice – the same rice I use for rice pudding.

What Kind Of Rice Do You Use To Make Paella? We love using medium grain or jasmine rice. You can also use Spanish rice if you can find it. The short, round grains are perfect for Paella and absorb liquid really well, which makes it the ideal rice for Paella.

Paella and the Importance of The Rice

Rice is paramount to Paella and requires the use of Bomba or Calasparra rice, a rice native to Spain and found in rice fields like this in the Albufera lagoon in Valencia.

Paella is regarded as one of the community's identifying symbols. It is one of the best-known dishes in Spanish cuisine. The dish takes its name from the wide, shallow traditional pan used to cook the dish on an open fire, paella being the word for a frying pan in Valencian language.

Most agree that the essential ingredients for paella are rice, some form of protein (chicken, seafood, rabbit), legumes and/or vegetables, olive oil, and saffron (also brought to the Iberian Peninsula by the Moors).

Paella is a traditional Spanish rice dish that originated in Valencia, Spain. It is made with a variety of ingredients, including saffron, which gives the dish its characteristic yellow color and distinct flavor.