Chicken Chorizo Paella with Black Rice

January 8, 2013 by Tania 19 Comments

It all started with the black rice that I bought in Adelaide at The Central Markets at San Jose Small goods. I was very excited about it because I have never come across black Paella rice. I showed it to a Spanish friend. He looked at me very sceptically and offered me some of the Bomba ( Paella) rice he sells. I wasn’t to be discouraged and set about making Paella with it. I think you can see why it is not quite as popular as regular Paella rice. Sure it’s a novelty, a great Halloween dish. All things cooked with this rice are very tasty but end up purpley black when done. You can follow this delicious recipe with white rice too!

Paella is a dish that has as many recipes as the people that cook it. It’s hard to find people that agree on the ingredients for Spain’s’ favourite dish, the variations are regional and every one has an opinion. However there are some rules and this is where my Spanish friend Miguel comes in with his tips for what you need to make a good Paella

**Paella is not made like risotto, once the ingredients and stock is added, stir it once, spread the ingredients evenly then dont stir it again. A crust should form on the bottom of the pan adding flavour and texture. Keep turning the pan so that every part of the Paella pan gets an even heat. You can push some of the ingredients aside to check that you are getting a bit of a crust. (A crust doesn’t mean a blackened bottom). If there is not enough heat the flavour may be more like pilaf rice, a bit steamed.

Cook the paella until the rice at the bottom is done and the rice at the top is almost done. Then remove the pan from the heat and cover it, (a teatowel is a good cover), letting it sit, covered, while you eat Pintxos or nibbles and then eat from the pan. Resting will allow the rice to finish cooking in its own heat.

Remember:

The Rice. Buy a good Paella ( Bomba) rice, it’s a short fat grain a little like Aborio. The grains should be cooked through and separate when the Paella is cooked, not creamy like risotto.
The Pan. Paella should be cooked in a wide shallow pan. The rice must cook in a shallow layer , so the more people eating Paella the wider and rounder the pan, they never get deeper. They should not be non-stick as the rice depends on flavour from the closeness to the bottom of the pan. Use a thinish skillet if you dont have a Paella pan. Paella is cooked without a lid except for the very last resting period.
The Liquid used must be good or there will be very little flavour in the dish. A good quality stock is paramount.
The Soffrito”. This is a flavour base used to start the Paella. It varies with region but can include onions, celery, garlic , tomatoes, paprika or herbs and a sweet red capsicum. The idea is to sauté this soffrito to build the flavour before the rice and any other ingredients are added.
The heat source. This must be enough to accommodate the size of the pan.

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5 from 2 votes