What makes a great paella? Our chef explains
Paella is the dish most people come to Añada for, and the one most often done badly elsewhere. A great one is simple, but there's nowhere to hide. Here's what our chef, Angel "Didier" Chavez, looks for.
It starts with the pan
In Valencia, "paella" is the name of the pan before it's the name of the dish. It's wide, shallow and thin, so the rice cooks in a single even layer. That's why a paella is never deep. The rice should sit no more than a finger's width high, with every grain touching the heat.
The right rice
We use Calasparra, a short-grain rice grown in the mountains of Murcia. Like bomba, it soaks up a lot of stock and still holds its shape. Long-grain rice goes fluffy, and risotto rice goes creamy. Neither is paella.
The secret is in the stock
If there's one thing to get right, it's the stock. The rice can only taste as good as the liquid it drinks, so our seafood stock is made strong, with real depth of flavour. It also needs enough body to support the crust that forms at the bottom of the pan. Saffron gives the colour and that honeyed, slightly floral note. Sweet paprika and a slow sofrito of tomato, onion and garlic do the rest, with red capsicum added for sweetness.
Don't stir
This is the big one. Once the rice and stock are in the pan, you leave it alone. Stirring releases starch and turns paella into risotto. Left undisturbed, the rice cooks evenly and the bottom layer starts to toast.
The socarrat
That toasted layer is the socarrat: a thin, caramelised crust stuck to the base of the pan. It's crunchy, nutty and the best part. In Spain people scrape the pan for it. There's no fixed rule for getting it. It comes down to temperature and timing, and every oven is different, so there's some art to it. Ask for the spoon and make sure you get the crust.
Then it rests
A few minutes off the heat lets the last of the stock settle into the rice. Then it goes straight to the table, in the pan.
Why we ask you to order it early
We cook every paella to order, from raw rice. It takes 25 to 30 minutes, which is why we suggest ordering it when you sit down. Have a few tapas while you wait.
Our paella de marisco has king prawns, white fish, calamari and pipis, and it's $80. It easily feeds two to three, or four if you're sharing another main. It's also the centrepiece of Wednesday Date Night: bread, two tapas, the seafood paella and dessert, $49 per person. See the full menu.
Wine of the Week: 2024 Nanclares y Prieto 'Tempus Vivendi' Albariño
Seafood paella wants a white with salt and freshness, and Albariño from Galicia's Atlantic coast is the classic match. Tempus Vivendi is the leaner, saltier style, and it's $22 by the glass, so you don't need a bottle to try it. Browse the wine list.
Didier's paella at a glance
Rice: Calasparra
The secret: a strong seafood stock, with the flavour and thickness to support the crust
Sofrito: tomato, onion and garlic, with red capsicum for sweetness
Socarrat: temperature and timing. Every oven is different, so there's some art to it
Time: 25 to 30 minutes, cooked to order
Serves: two to three, or four with another main
Book a table
Book on OpenTable or call (03) 9415 6101. Tell us when you book if you'd like the paella and we'll have the pan ready.
More from the kitchen: Basque food in Melbourne, and where to eat it in Fitzroy.
