Did you know that Spain has 17 regions subdivided into 50 provinces? That's why I always talk about the diversity of our cuisine, the different products you can find from the North to the South, the different methods of cooking based on the type of environment they come from, and the historical importance due to the civilisations that have inhabited that region.

You'll always see me trying to showcase the diversity of Spanish food and the different techniques we have that make our gastronomy so unique. However, there is ONE question people keep asking me and want to know about here in Australia: how to make paella! So, as we are celebrating Orange Food Week 2023, allow me to put it on the record today.

First things first, they are three different types of recipes with rice in Spain: 'Caldosos' are brothy recipes usually with delicious seafood (remember you'll see a lot of liquid with your rice); 'melosos' — creamy looking recipes due to the starch (conceptually like a risotto); and finally those recipes called 'arroz seco', which literally means ‘dry rice’. Now when I say 'dry' that doesn't mean a lack of flavour, it just means there is no liquid between the grains of rice. ‘Paella Valenciana’ is one of these recipes. 

 Secondly, we have to talk about the type of rice we use. In the East of Spain, we have three different rice-growing regions that have a ‘D.O.’, a stamp of quality that the European Union gives you saying that those products are unique to a region and of really good quality. You'll find them in Catalunya, in Valencia and in Murcia.

For those who don't know much about rice let me clarify that size matters! In Aussie supermarkets, you'll see long-grain (jasmine, basmati, etc) and medium-grain (arborio). And just in some, you'll be able to find Spanish varieties like bomba or Calasparra. But they are not the only ones, in fact, there are others like Bahia, Senia, and Albufera that are really well-known and used in Spain.

I've been able to find Bomba and Calasparra varieties here in town. And with those in your kitchen, you'll be able to achieve amazing Spanish recipes full of flavour and texture. Please make sure when you buy it that they have the ‘D.O.’ sticker on the front telling you that it is a ‘Denomination of Origin’ product.

Why is it important to use the right type of rice for Spanish recipes? Because they absorb more liquid which means more flavour in your dishes. For example: one cup of long-grain rice will absorb two cups of hot liquid; one cup of medium-grain rice will absorb two-and-a-half cups of hot liquid; but one cup of Calasparra rice can absorb four-and-a-half cups of hot liquid! That's why I always recommend using the right ingredient for the right recipe.

Now, I'd like to clarify some basics about the recipe we are going to be doing today. First of all, the word 'Paella' is a Valencian word that means 'pan'. That's why you'll see today that I'm sharing with you a 'Calasparra rice on paella'. Guess what? Not everything made on this cooking utensil can be called a paella. And it is not me who says so; it's the regulatory organisations that are trying to define and highlight the importance of these recipes in the Valencian region as an “Asset of Intangible Cultural Interest”.

Finally, let me talk to you about the rice we are going to use today, Calasparra rice. It comes from the fresh mountain waters around the town of Calasparra in Murcia, Southeastern Spain. This type of rice takes 30 per cent longer to mature because it is grown in cool flowing water. This makes it a denser, more absorbent grain as result, and it is perfect for absorbing the flavoursome broths for your dishes. Believe me, once you start using it at home, you won't go back to any other type. It's absolutely delicious!

 

"Calasparra chicken rice with local garlic and saffron on paella"

 

Ingredients

200 ml extra virgin olive oil 

1/2 chicken, broken down

1/2 Rabbit, broken down (if you can't get it, substitute it with chicken).

200g flat green beans

100g butter beans

3 garlic cloves 

1 tsp Spanish pimentón (sweet paprika)

1 Pinch of local saffron

2 fresh tomatoes, grated.

400g Calasparra rice 

2L boiling water/stock

Salt to taste

 

Method

1. Place the olive oil in the paella pan on high heat.

 2. Once the oil starts smoking, add the chicken and cook it until you get a golden-brown colour and then remove it.

 3. Add the rabbit and cook it until you get a golden-brown colour and remove it.

 4. Reduce the heat and add the flat green beans and butter beans, cook for 5 minutes and set aside.

 5. On low heat, cook the garlic for a minute or so.

6. Add the pimentón. Stir constantly to avoid the pimentón getting stuck to the bottom and burning.

 7. Add the saffron and keep stirring for 30 seconds.

 8. Add the grated tomato and cook it with the spices and garlic until it gets brown.

 9. Add the chicken, rabbit, flat beans, and butter beans and mix them together.

10. Add the rice and mix it all together.

 11. Add the boiling water/stock.

 12. Spread out the rice evenly (make sure everything is under the liquid). And from this point do not touch it.

 13. Cook it for 18 minutes: 9 minutes on low heat and 9 minutes on high heat at the end to get the “socarrat” (crispy bottom).

 14. You can finish it off by placing a couple of pieces of rosemary on top.

 15. Let it rest for 5 minutes! 

 Enjoy!