Cooking methods
Different preparation and cooking methods for paella?
There are several ways to cook paella. Beyond recipes that vary from family to family, region to region, and even village to village, several cooking methods exist.
Their uses by cooks are largely related to the level of experience in preparing paella.
If you’re just starting out with paella, stick to the simpler methods. As you become more comfortable, you can try more complex cooking methods.
Let’s take a closer look at what it’s all about!
Cooking ingredients separately
When you start a paella, you cook each ingredient independently (meats, mussels, langoustines, vegetables, etc.). There are two ways to do this:
- One is to put the ingredients to one side after cooking.
- the other suggests pushing cooked food out of the pan.
Method 1
Put the ingredients to one side
The first method involves cooking each ingredient separately in the paella pan. After cooking, the cook places them one after the other in individual containers. They are set aside until the rice is cooked, when they are added back into the pan to finish cooking the paella.
This method is especially suitable for novice cooks. It prevents overcooking of food. Once cooked, the food is set aside while the rice is cooked.
Method 2
Place the ingredients towards the outside of the pan
This second method involves pushing the cooked food towards the unheated outer diameter of the paella pan.
The cook will only heat the center of the pan to cook the ingredients. When they are cooked, they are pushed to the outside of the pan, which is not heated. The ingredients are placed directly on the pan. When all the ingredients are cooked, the cook places them on the pan before starting to cook the rice.
This method is quite easy to do if you have a burner with several burners that can be controlled independently of each other.
The peppers are cooked on their own in the pan. When they are ready, they are set aside in a container.
The meats were cooked, then pushed out of the pan. Next, the squid pieces were cooked, then pushed out of the pan.
Preparing the broth
The broth can be prepared in two different ways. There are two ways to do this:
- prepare the broth outside the pan (in a large saucepan for example).
- Prepare the broth directly in the paella pan.
Method 1
In a saucepan
This method is for beginner cooks. It involves preparing the broth in a separate saucepan while preparing the first ingredients.
This ensures you have a sufficient amount of broth. You use a few more liters of water than necessary to ensure you have enough broth. This prevents the rice from potentially undercooking. If necessary, you can add a few extra ladles of broth to finish cooking.
Method 2
In the paella pan
This second method involves preparing the broth directly in the paella pan after cooking the various ingredients.
It’s more complex because it involves both controlling the amount of water needed to make a good broth and the amount of water needed to cook the rice. Remember, the broth will reduce as it reduces. The broth should be reduced enough to be full of flavor, but there should still be enough liquid to cook the rice. It’s also very important to know when to add the rice.
If any of the steps are missed, the rice may be undercooked and/or tasteless.
The broth was prepared separately in a saucepan. It was added just before cooking the rice.
The broth is prepared directly in the pan with the previously cooked ingredients (except shellfish).
Cooking with gas or wood?
The entire process of preparing a paella requires heat, first to cook the ingredients and then to prepare the caldo (broth) and cook the rice. Two types of fuel can be used to achieve this:
- use a gas burner.
- cook over a wood fire.
Method 1
Cooking on a gas burner
Using a gas burner is extremely common for preparing paella. There are burners of different sizes with multiple burners arranged in rings. The power of each burner is independently controlled by knobs. This greatly simplifies managing the heat output as needed. In fact, it is sometimes recommended to use a high or low heat depending on the stage of paella preparation.
Method 2
Cooking over a wood fire
This is the “ancestral” cooking method for paellas and many other dishes. The pan is in contact with the heat of the flames. It is not placed directly in the fire; a tripod is required to raise it.
Cooking over a wood fire can be more complex than cooking over a gas burner. It’s harder to control the power of the flames. You have to monitor the cooking process of the ingredients while ensuring the fire is strong enough.
Do you know all the paella vocabulary?
The most frequently asked questions and answers about paella and its preparation!