Let’s talk Paella guys. A delicious meal to share with family and friends, abundant in flavors and colors. Paella came to us from Spain and many people consider it as a Spanish staple, and a national dish. However inside Spain, Paella is known to be a regional specialty of Valencia, and Valencians regard paella as one of their identifying symbols. Here is a pic I took of the very authentic paella de mariscos.

Paella. Valencia. Spain.
The key ingredient is the right rice. Spaniards use Bomba rice (paella rice), a short-grained variety which is known to absorb much water without getting mushy. If you can’t find Bomba rice, substitute with an Italian brother – arborio rice – it is more popularized in the U.S. and easy to find in grocery stores.
There are several types of paella:
- Valencian paella
- vegetable paella (paella de verduras)
- seafood paella (paella de mariscos)
- mixed paella (paella mixta)
Paella should be cooked on an open fire (in this recipe I used gas burner, attached to the grill) and ideally in a special paella pan. I use 12” cast iron pan instead, and it turns out fine too. I would recommend to find something more shallow to get this nice toasted rice layer at the bottom of the pan. This toasted rice layer called – soccarat – considered a delicacy in Spain and a sign to a good paella.
Wine Pairing suggestion: young and fruity red wine, served a bit chilled. Or, full-bodied, oak aged white wines like Chardonnay. You could also use frozen seafood mix same way. Just thaw them carefully and remove the extra liquid.