Tomato rice

Paella is a traditional peasant dish from the town of Albufera in Valencia where rice has been grown on wetlands for 1200 years. It was introduced here by the Moors. Originally paella was cooked by the workers in the fields over an open fire, incorporating ingredients that were at hand. By burning grapevines or even orange wood, the rice would be infused with the smokiness from the fire. Citrus wood pairs well with the ripeness of tomatoes and the richness of the parmesan, but paella is first and foremost a rice dish so the quality of the rice itself is crucial. The best rice is said to come from Calasparra, a town in the neighbouring mountains of Murcia where it is grown along the Segura River. The cold clean mountain water slows the growth of the rice down, producing rice kernels that are drier with the ability to absorb three times the amount of liquid of other rice varieties.

Other than the rice, the most important elements of paella are the pan (from where the dish gets its name) and the stock, which in this case is the tomato water. The holy grail of any paella is the socarrat, the crisp golden layer that forms as the rice caramelises on the base of the pan. The flat, wide base of the paella is designed to cook the rice evenly while producing a good socarrat. Consequently it is important that the pan is sized in accordance with how many people you are cooking for.

The thin base of the pan does mean that the rice can burn easily if you’re not careful. The ability to control the heat and cook a delicate rice dish over fire is one of the hardest skills to learn.