Can I Cook Paella Like a SPANISH CHEF ?

Paella is about perfectly cooked plump juicy grains of rice, infused with bold flavours. Go to our sponsor betterhelp.com... for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help.
Bomba rice is the key. 10 minutes boiling or less, 10 minutes simmering or less, 30s on high heat.
Saffron, tomato, garlic, fish stock.
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[@dineproject]

Hi Alex! I’m Spanish and I do have some experience in Valencian kitchen. Its impressive how well you have been able to canalize the information and make a proper Paella at home, in a pan, with no fire, and socarrat (which isnt easy at all). If you want some comments that may be helpful, here they are. - the saffron mix with hot liquid is genius, and I have seen some top tier Spanish chefs doing it as well. - There is meat paella, and seafood paella (and other combinations). For seafood paella, often cooks use the heads of prawns, shrimps, langoustines… to make the stock richer in flavor, and deeper in color. When straining the stock, make sure to crush down everything inside it (including fish bones). Some chefs don’t even strain it, but just blend all of it together :) - When making paella at home, I’d say it is important to cover it in a cloth when its done cooking for 5 minutes, so that the stock that is left reabsorbs and you get a more dry result. Often, paella that has been sitting for a while is even better and more flavorful. Finally, I think you have done the socarrat really well, but my tip would be to not get obsessed with it. Often, foreigners focus too much on the “socarrat” as they believe it is the main indicator of success. In reality, the priority is the rice, and when you have a good technique often socarrat comes naturally. It also depends in not putting a lot of rice (maybe you have realized that in Spain, the layer of rice is super thin and often doesn’t get to the edges of the Paellera (pan). In general I feel like youve done a great job. Im living in Paris right now, so if you need any Spanish tips I can help! Hahahaah

[@gabrieldinglasan]

Is there a specific protein/seafood that should be used on a paella in order for it to be called authentic??

[@JesusMVentura]

Y yo aquí esperando a que alguien lo amenace de muerte por llamarlo paella. 😂😂😂

[@HormigaZ]

@@gabrieldinglasan the issue is that there's probably not such a thing as a true authentic seafood paella. They are all forms of variations of a dish usually done when the region was very poor, and it often featured the same ingredients because it was what was available, that would be: the rice, rabbit (yes, rabbit), maybe chicken if there was (but usually they were left alone for the eggs, remember, poor environment in older times), flat green beans, garrofó (a local big, white bean) and optionally artichoke and snails. That's the only true paella. Everything else is just taking that idea and trying to make it work. And that's why you see in general so many abominations, since it's open to interpretation even by us Spanish people, imagine what happens when someone completely foreign to our culinary culture comes and makes a take on it.

[@driss409]

@@gabrieldinglasan Not really, use anything you can get, but the broth, Bomba rice and pimenton are a must. Do NOT use a non-stick pan. The most ¨authentic¨ paella does not have any seafood in it, it´s made with chicken, rabbit, sometimes snails and huge beans called garrofón.

[@henryslager9406]

What do you use for the broth for Valencian paella?(chicken, rabbit. No seafood.)

[@Abhothra]

A Frenchman speaking Spanish whilst making Italian handgestures....Never stop being this awesome Alex.

[@ArthurTugwell]

Cringe

[@leafster1337]

european ppl

[@earlofwickshire5416]

There was once an Austrian artist who spoke German while making hand guestures. Many people came to watch him. Some said he really knew how to wow a crowd!

[@maeton-gaming]

@@ArthurTugwell your existence is cringe

[@grieske]

@@earlofwickshire5416 Was that Godwin?

[@ShayanGivehchian]

Persian here. If you want to maximize your saffron flavor, "brew" it cold. Pour cold water over the grounds and refrigerate for a day. It will take longer to infuse but will be much stronger.

[@teedoubleu2580]

Never heard that before. I'll give it a try! Thank you in advance. 🙂

[@manfurt47]

@Alex +𝟏𝟐𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟑𝟎𝟖𝟔𝟓𝟐 so, you're gonna answer to me you spammer subhuman,?!

[@danguee1]

Obvious myth. How can refrigeration make something 'much stronger' which has been cooked for half an hour? Use your common sense....

[@ShayanGivehchian]

@danguee1 where did I say to cook it for a half hour ? Also this is very common in many brewing methods. Cold brewing preserves volatile compounds similar to blanching.

[@mikez2501]

@@danguee1 guess you never heard of cold brewing coffee, no?

[@JackDespero]

I am from Spain and that looks like an amazin paella. Keep in mind that paella is one of those dishes that you cook on a sunday when your family and friends are coming to eat. Everybody thinks that their paella is the best, and every paella is imperfect. Yours looks delicious.

[@Arat1t1]

My father bought a paella pan a few years ago, and now every summer at our summer house we gather everybody nearby, tell them to bring drinks and then enjoy it down by the water while watching the sunset. The paella itself is delicious, but the food really isn't the most important part for that equation.

[@alvileg]

being from Spain does not mean knowing how paella is like, considering if you go to states(comunidades autonomas) close to Valencia they already start adding weird ingredients like peas and ham.

[@Seriously_Eh]

Ahhh I understand! The Spanish version of our traditional (Italian) Sunday risotto. My least favorite would have been cooked with "figadini". (Chicken liver and gizzard.) I was exposed to a lot of Italian peasant dishes as a child. (Don't ask.)

[@gadeaiglesiassordo716]

@@Seriously_Eh Probably true. paella (or any rice cooked in a paella) are a family or friends gathering. There are MORE recipees that are cooked in a paella. He is doing a seafood one. You also have "arroz negro" with sepia ink and calamari iin, the "arros a banda" and a whole bunch of different recipees.

[@testman9541]

@@Seriously_Eh Problem with risotto is the texture, no bite and way too much chewing. I known that there are people in love with that dish, but to me, this is not the best Italian dish by far (way too much north maybe) and not the best rice based dish. Which Paella is 🥳

[@mariogarciaperez7211]

You are walking into a potential minefield with this series, mad respect from a Valencian and I can´t wait to see this journey unfold!

[@HANSSAMAA]

He does with every meal he wants to replicate but he always does it good IMO

[@kuebbisch]

But to his credit, he is very far from "arroz con cosas" in my book. He shows that he tries to replicate the real deal.

[@3MasterG]

@@kuebbisch your "arroz con cosas", do you mean everything people call and do as paella but really isn't? I bet there's a whole growing chapter to it!! 😂

[@MrJoaquin4037]

@@3MasterG exacly right, to us valencians everytime a foreigner makes a paella and It differs heavily from the original we call It 'rice with stuff' (arroz con cosas)

[@kuebbisch]

@@3MasterG yes, "rice with stuff" is the colloquial term for rice dishes which are presented as a paella by mostly non-spanish chefs with chorizo, frankfurters and other horrible ingredients. Don't get me wrong, paella is a can of worms with everyone arguing if beans belong into it, or is valencian paella better than andalusian...But there is a distinction between paella and "rice with stuff" like pilaf rice.

[@Alberto-xw8vx]

It's important to bear in mind how brave Alex is. If mishandled, this episode could lead to a war in between Spain and France, again! and the decomposition of the European Union. So I'm going to say something in Spanish: "Alex los españoles te queremos y te apreciamos mucho, eres uno de los mejores youtubers culinarios que existen en el mundo. Nunca dejes de ser como eres y continua con tu buen hacer. Un abrazo desde Barcelona". 😘

[@emiliopassarelli7498]

Siendo justos iniciar una guerra entre francia y España es bastante facil

[@davizilloh96]

Jajajajjaa adoro el "again"😂

[@noesmagiaescuina5911]

Alex, the pimenton should go before the tomato, it's important that the pimenton is toasted but not burned, once toasted, add the tomato that hydrates again. Thank you for so many hours of fun.

[@ivanllopis5882]

I often avoided it directly on the pan, cause it burns so quickly. In my opinion, he did good by putting it on the tomato, so it doesn't get burnt

[@noesmagiaescuina5911]

@@ivanllopis5882 But then it is boiled and not roasted, you just have to watch that it does not burn.

[@jonplacercharles3745]

I also saw that he uses "pimentón de la vera", which is smoked. If he wants a flavour that is more subtle he could just use "pimentón dulce", which is not smoked.

[@jadelpino10]

@@jonplacercharles3745 Detalle de alguien que ha hecho muchas paellas

[@GeorgeVenturi]

He also forgot to put chorizo in it. But nobody is perfect!!!

[@ashkancode]

As a Persian, I approve of your saffron blooming technique. The grinding and blooming of the saffron make an enormous difference.

[@pepelaugh7]

I'm from Valencia and the word "socarrat" is actually a word in valencian language that means something like roasted, thanks for sharing our culture!

[@jakeouvina9543]

Congratulations. It's the first time I see someone in KZbin making a paella similar to my grandma's paella. Thanks for showing to the world what an actual paella is!

[@dresdenwinterknight9553]

I think you are very brave to make all of these traditional recipes, since it tends to gather thousands of people with different views thinking their version is right just because their mama made that way. Or fighting over details that hardly matter or things that it's just a matter of taste.

[@nico65728]

Hola Alex, great Paella :) as a German living in Valencia/Alicante I have also been taught some tricks around making the perfect rice/paella. For a good rice, you may also look into the province of Alicante (which is part of the Communidad Valencia). From there a lot of "Arroz a/del..." are coming from (they are not called paella) and they are made a little different but very tasty (or even more?!). Firstly, you create the broth with fishheads, spine, and like others pointed out prawns-head. The second ingredient is the sofrito or salmorreta - which you prepare seperately in the pan (using garlic, onion, tomato, bit of parsley) and give it to the broth at the end and strain it. This will go into the rice, the rest of the process is similar. There is the version of arroz del senyoret (rice for the lords/gentlemen) with all seafood cut into pieces, to avoid dirty hands :) My personal favorit. And some like it even more - the pasta version of it - fideua. Try it! adéu - Nico

[@SergioGMN]

Yup that's the first thing I was going to comment, this is not paella but arros del senyoret. Still, good job on it, they're similar enough.

[@arturoone77]

Im Spanish and Im blown away by how good your paella came out, Alex. Congratulations on obtaining such a great result and thank you for letting the world know what a true paella looks and taste like.

[@danguee1]

Ridiculous nationalist sh*t. Every recipe in the world can be made by a very good cook from anywhere in the world using a precise method. All you need is to have excellent cooking skills. Complete nonsense that Spanish people are genetically superior at making paella. And the same goes for any national or specialist dish from any country.

[@arturoone77]

@@danguee1 wow you just argued a point that was never made by anybody. I congratulated Alex because he's made an authentic paella recipe and most recipes on the internet from people who have not grown up in Spain or tried the real thing are horrible missinterpretations of what a paella should be like (e.g. adding chorizo to it). I commend him on the authenticity of the recipe and the results he got. Now, think what you will

[@muther3026]

Paella is at once, the simplest and the most complex dish that I cook. It has taken me years to get where I am and I still have a lot to learn. I live in Kansas City, USA. The only way to get paella here, is to make it yourself. The only paella I have ever had is my own. Thank you for this series. Your skill, knowledge, and especially your insight are much appreciated.

[@Koolumi]

Wow, so nice to read you comment, you must come over one day ^^

[@dr-k1667]

Alex, having watched you for years, this video feels like a culmination of your acquired skills as a home cook. You truly analyzed, researched, used and honed the variety of skills I've seen in many of the series you created. Your choice of pan, technique, heat, flavor, timing and of course ingredients.. puts you at another level. Your hard work, joy and pursuit of knowledge is paying off. Thanks for sharing!

[@Vlerkies]

Don't ever stop Alex, 'never ever stop'!!!! These deep dives you share with your viewers into various cuisines, dishes, ingredients, and the passion you exude is truly infectious. Thank you!

[@basketybirras5270]

Happily surprised. Yes you can! Finally a non-spanish youtuber cooking a paella as it is supposed to be 👏👏👏

[@Torosentao]

As a Valencian, I honestly thought you were going to do something crazy like many I see on the internet with paellas, but I think you are one of the best paellas made by a foreigner in a long, long time. Congratulations. Nice video and Thank you for showing our culture and gastronomy.

[@NewInBritain]

Indeed, the paella was great, but I believe that the only thing missing was to cook it with orange tree wood and the resting time with the newspaper on the top. Fantastic video :-)

[@Joseju]

That paella looks positively mouthwatering. Loved the video! Cheers!

[@Lezana23]

No esperaba verte caer por aquí Joseju.

[@TheHreach]

Pero bueno joseju otra vez en un canal de guiris cocinando comida española. Enorme

[@Helio___]

Almost perfect, However u missed the last step, and very important one... U have to let the rice rest for a few minutes, it is very important because this way u let each rice grain to fully absorb the remaining broth and also the top rice will infuse with the malliard reaction at the bottom. I think this is the best aproach to a real paella from a non-valencian guy that I ever seen. Congrats. PD: If u want to explore in deep the paella world I recomend u to watch this guy @ChefAmadeo

[@juhaleskinen7383]

There are as many versions to do it, as there is people in the comment section.

[@Helio___]

@@juhaleskinen7383 Yeah, there are as many paellas as valencians xD. But there are a few important common stepts between all of them and resting (usually with a clean towel or papper to cover the rice) is a must one.

[@earlofwickshire5416]

@Hellno What do you think about adding the tiniest - and I can't stress just how little - amount of fentenyl? Would that help?

[@annother3350]

@@earlofwickshire5416 You mean Fennel? Or Fentanyl the super strong drug currently kiiling loads of people in America?!

[@GeorgeVenturi]

He also forgot to put chorizo in it. But nobody is perfect!!!

[@traviszuluaga5672]

As a basque person, I appreciate this and would love to see you make bacalao as well.

[@pattravels]

Yes! Please tackle basque cuisine!

[@fabe61]

I really appreciate you not buying a paella pan. Keeps this helpful for people who want to recreate the same success at home. As much as I’d enjoy you cooking paella on a proper, massive pan over an open fire, this is more educationally valuable. Excited to try this myself!

[@arcanskyarcan9031]

Spanish chef here. Your paella is pretty good for the equipment you have, it's quite similar to modern approaches to paella by chefs. It has nothing to do with a traditional paella tho. The most famous one is "paella valenciana", where you make the broth in the paella pan just before including the rice. Tipical ingredients are: rabbit, chicken, green beans, artichoke, garrofo beans (kind of lima beans)... Anyway, this kind of dry rices are made in a lot of places in Spain, along the mediterranean coast. In Catalunya they make it similarly but with a very caramelized and dehydrated onion, in Alacant they make rices like "Arroz a banda". I encourage you to research about that and keep doing what you do in all your series. Thanks and forgive me for my english!

[@ArinQ429]

I'm from Valencia (I like Casa Carmela a lot too by the way) and I must say you did a really really great job. It's so depresing to see what some cooks out there call Paella, even in Spain on touristic places it's so bad. Congratulations and respect I will see if I can catch some receips from your channel.

[@ElPelusaMDKF]

Greetings from Spain, the paella looks very good. On behalf of all Spaniards, I have to thank you for your great communicative work, really teaching what Spanish food is like. I hope this helps many foreign people who visit Spain to avoid being deceived by one of many establishments that serve this "tourist paellas".

[@gavinmackay8236]

Alex, as an Englishman who speaks the bare minimum of Spanish, French, and Italian, seeing your beautiful amalgamations of all three cultures’ cuisines bring a tear to my humble eye. Well done, and keep doing what you’re doing.

[@ad-zh5ot]

This is called Arroz a banda and is a paella dish very popular in the Alicante area. And let me tell you, you have nailed it (you can tell from just looking at the color and texture of it). Usually, chopped sepia and calamari is used, but anything goes really (lobster, shrimps, bogavante...) edit: and yes, the Valencian "bomba" rice is very important for any paella as its the grain that absorbs the most amounts of liquids and thus flavour

[@signoreconti]

I’ve cooked and re-searched paella recipes for years now, and knew about the socarrat - which I was surprised that you didn’t mention in the original video at the restaurant. But the fact that you did such a deep dive, even showing the cooking temperature levels through the different phases of the process, really blew me away! Bravo Don Alex Alex 🙏🏼

[@alejandromedario8740]

Merci beaucoup! As a Spanish and a self taught foodie, this is by far the best paella video i´ve seen, not only coming from a non Spanish person, but also in a general perspective. You really break down the principles of the dish, wich you can apply to any variation. Thanks for helping others to understand and enjoy this often neglected dish. Salut!

[@joanmm2930]

There are two main ways to cook a traditional paella the Alacant and the Valencia. Valencia paella makes the broth in the same pan that you are going to cook the rice (fry first the meats then the vegetables make the sofregit then pour water and let simmer. Once the broth is made you put the rice and it boils. The Alacant way is more like you have done here fry the rice then add the broth that you have done elsewhere. Main difference Valencia is simpler and the rice is boiled and Alacant the rice is fried first. Being your first paella is welldone (the rice may be a bit undercooked). Try other paella recepies and avoid chorizo.

[@victorgrandamancebo5582]

spanish cook here. Man, thank you for this 2 videos about paella... i love making paellas, and i have an obsesion for socarrat. But i allways hated how 95% of restaurants do and sell paellas... for them is just yellow rice, overcooked ofc, no flavor, full of stuff but not a thing to remember or enjoy... So thats why i have to tell you again, Thank you because u are spreding the love paella deserves

[@penguinchris796]

There is an aspect of paella that I love and think is missing from yours if you want to level it up one last time, that is smoke. When we make paella at home, we do not have access to a wood burning stove at home but we do have a smoker, we will smoke our shellfish/vegetables/meat or whatever we are having in the smoker to impart that wood smoked flavour. Yours looks delicious all the best.

[@michael_p]

The pimentón de la vera did add some smoke to the rice.

[@marcveciana]

Arroz Bomba is the "easy mode". Rice will let you make mistakes with the timing but will not absorb the flavour as well as any Sénia or derivative rice.

[@thefrenchmachinist8957]

Oh man! This looks really good for a first! Few things though: - i beg you to try the original paella valenciana. There is no garlic in it. The chicken and rabbit with tomato and pimenton give the taste. Also if available the snails add a lot to the flavour. At the end, the ultimate thing that is missing for it to be a real paella is the people gathered together to share this meal and the criticism from tour guests. Valencians are very passionate about this and the critic is a true part of the experience.

[@ciberbri59]

You nailed it first time! No angst? No suffering? No drama? No follow up? Amazing.

[@robertozamora2220]

Hi Alex, as a Valencian Who loves cooking rice and subscriber of you channel I must say that you did again a great job in your fiesta paella! 😊 The world of cooking paella has a lot of controversy and each one has his own tricks and techiques. But if I may, I would to share what is the most important to me, the socarrat: The socarrat is what gives this extra flavor and texture that you felt in the restaurant. And this is thank you to all the greases (animal/vegetables) left in the sofrito (when you fry all vegetables / meat / fish in the paella. So my recommendation in that when you are in this step, much more important if is a meat paella, that yo do It with LOVE and patience and fry everithing very good adding first the ingredients that needs more time to get all this flavour in the base of your paella. To have a perfect socarrat try to keep a very thin layer of rice, this means more socarrat and less overcooked rice. About watter quantity, even you use allways same bomba rice, ratio depends on the diameter of the paella recipient, simple phisics, more surface water evaporates faster... Which tipe of fire you're using etc... This is all about try and miss and mastering... One trick if you got short of water is covering it when you take It of the fire and let it sit for some minutes. So Hope you find my opinion helpful. Peace&love 👌

[@gadeaiglesiassordo716]

Your video has arrived to Meneame (similar to reddit but only in spanish) AND YOU HAVE NOT BEEN ROASTED. Congratulations. You have done well enough that NO ONE have fully complained

[@tofu_golem]

I love the humility Alex shows when exploring the cuisines of other countries. Gordon Ramsay should take notes. 😝 About socarrat: before rice cookers, Japanese people used to cook rice in big cast iron pots. My Japanese mother remembers that time and told me that she and her siblings fought over who got the crunchy bits at the bottom of the pot. Any discussion of socarrat brings back memories of my mother telling me those stories.

[@samuelprescott7426]

Ramsay has always shown immense respect to the cuisines that he cooks. Often travelling to those places and getting experts to show him the culture and the why of making that food. There are other, less than clothed chefs, that have historically shat on the cultures of the cooking. Just sayin', maybe put some respect on Ramsay's name.

[@ChokyoDK]

Haven't watched Alex for years but glad to see that he still does videos.

[@W1ngSMC]

I came into the comment section expecting the spanish inquisition.

[@Mumumuth]

The guy nailed the paella. No need of trial by fire this time.

[@chilko]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

[@JoseRomero-ee1pr]

Spanish inquisition comes when somebody disrespect our tradition or culture, trying "my version of paella" whitout knowing the basics. Alex did it with all the respect, and a proper technic and ingredients. And almost nailed it. Sure the best "first try" i've seen for a Paella. Awesome. Congrats Alex.

[@NyxaGrayheart]

Seriously love your channel it's so cool how passionate you are. A joy to watch.

[@atropos91]

Mad respect for this series. I really recommend you to buy a true and heavy steel paella, like the ones of Pata Negra. You can archieve similar results with a pan like the one you have, but in the end, the only way to have the proper rice distribution is with a true paella pan. Not only for the different layers of rice, but also because of the heat distribution, which helps with cooking and evaporation. Also, for this type of dishes, seafood paella, fideua and similar, you should search the "salmorreta", a mix of fried ingredients that kicks up the flavour of your sofrito and your rice in the end. There are an almost infinite quantity of salmorretas, each one for every type of rice that is not the traditional paella of chicken and rabbit. Keep on, as a Valencian, I'm very eager to see where this goes.

[@格温德琳野兔]

A debuyer pan like the one he has, is 3mm thick Paella pans range from

[@atropos91]

@@格温德琳野兔 they use to be slightly thicker than the normal ones and made of stronger alloy with better heat transmission properties. That helps to reduce the possibility of deformation that those pans have under heavy fire.

[@jamestimlin856]

It is just me and my wife. Would a cast iron pan work?

[@Th0mX]

Knowing Alex, he'll do a video on the perfect paella pan later on in the series. ;-)

[@格温德琳野兔]

@@atropos91 the question, for my answer at least, isn't wether it's thicker than a 0.8mm paella pan, but wether it's thicker than the 3mm thick pan in the video. And in my opinion, the answer is no There is also nothing that would validate the claim that it has better heat transmission than the one from debuyer, beside some lines from their marketing team. Carbon steel is a simple alloy of iron and carbon, so there isn't much leeway to begin with.

[@arthurwong9017]

I live in south east asia and cannot find the same authentic paella you described in your video. Thank for the recipe and techniques. It was super awesome! I used La Fallera rice instead as that was the only valencia rice i could find

[@jacobson1997]

Hi Alex, are you ok? :) We are missing You!

[@kuantize]

I have been making Paella nearly every Sunday for the last 15 years. One of the better, if not the best, paella videos by a foreigner. You understanding of cooking is world class. Some additional points / tips : - You put the saffron in later than it should. - Once the water goes in, make sure the rice is all spread out and then DO NOT TOUCH thee rice until you are done. You don't want extra starch releasing. - If doing it at home, the way that works for me is: about 5 - 7 minutes at high heat, 10 - 12 minutes low heat, 2 - 3 minutes at high and then I cover the paellera with aluminum foil for 5 minutes to let it rest and get those final juices and stock to coagulate. The 5 minutes resting increases the flavour but removes some of the sharpness. Also, these times depend on the time of year, temperature of the kitchen, temperature of the stock, moisture in the kitchen etc. - Some of the fumet is a little overengineered. You don't need mushrooms. Carrot, celery, onions, scraps of fish (if making seafood Paella) and a dash of white wine. The close up of the rice shows that it is perfectly cooked with the right amount of moisture. I would definitely eat this. Also, you need to try the more classic "valencian" paella with chicken, rabbit and garrofó (lima bean). When eating at home or at a friends / families, you will find families that create a slimmer layer of rice (like you, restaurant style) and others that have a much bigger layer of rice (but with socarrat). It is fascinating having different paellas at different places and the nuances in taste and texture. However, the beauty of Paella is that every house will do it different and if it is good for you and your family to enjoy and share, that is the best paella. Well done, and thank you for the respect you have shown for the dish. I would love to see a video with you doing this in a proper paellera for more people. And wait until you taste paella the day after. Save a bit, put it in the fridge and have it the next day. Your channel is fantastic.

[@weatheranddarkness]

I tend to think the later saffron is probably better if you want to retain the flavours

[@kuantize]

@@weatheranddarkness I dont want the paella to taste of saffron. I need the aroma and colorants, therefore the sooner the better

[@weatheranddarkness]

@@kuantize you're totally wasting one of the world's most expensive ingredients then.

[@kuantize]

@@weatheranddarkness Your remarks are noted.

[@Meoiswa]

For color and aroma, the artificial stuff (*gasp*!) works well enough. Lower your pitchforks and hear me out, if you like and want the taste, then yeah, saffron has no match, but for the mostly decorative use in paella, when it is already such an inexpensive dish, there's no point using such an expensive ingredient for it's color when the *exact same compound* can be made in "a lab" for far cheaper.

[@philthomas8351]

I love Paella. Had a few times and did not know it was so complex. Good video Alex.

[@giovannibarricelli4977]

Is Alex okay? This has been a long time since he hasn't posted a video. I miss his videos.

[@legumbro]

Dear Alex, I'm Spanish and I have to say that you nailed it. That socarrat looks awesome. Congrats!

[@JoseanRubio]

As a Spanish, I can tell you that my mother could be proud of you. Great Paella!!

[@JoseanRubio]

@Alex +𝟏𝟐𝟏𝟖𝟓𝟑𝟎𝟖𝟔𝟓𝟐 suspicious…

[@mkgvlc4]

As a Spanish you dont get a saying in Paella, as its only valencian. I dont go around claiming fabada asturiana or "european" pizza

[@JoseanRubio]

@@mkgvlc4 hahah I’m not claiming anything

[@sea-ferring]

@Alex You need to research and try Persian cuisine. Tahdig (Persian crispy rice) is similar to socarrat. My favorite Persian dish is Khoresh Kharafs - literally Celery Stew - this sounds awful, but it is cooked as a stew with beef or lamb and parsley, mint, and dried lemons or limes. So delicious, and it (and any Persian stew) is served with Tahdig.

[@96wtfomg]

Hi Alex! Someday try also the classic Paella Valenciana as well! I know seafood is more impressive but the classic Chicken and Rabbit combo is to die for as well👍. This Paella also looks really nice! Specially for a 1 portion

[@nouonze]

I'm spanish and belive me, a lot of restaurants in spain would dream to cook such an amazing paella. Congratulations

[@VerhoevenSimon]

The pimenton should go in first, but it certainly looks delicious. And indeed, that rice is magnificent.

[@SergioGonzalezMartin]

If you put the pimentón from the beginning you burn it. Pimentón just needs to cook some seconds before you put the liquids in the paella.

[@VerhoevenSimon]

@@SergioGonzalezMartin I usually see it toasted, you indeed shouldn't wait too long with adding your tomatoes and other liquids to rehydrate it.

[@greeeenhorn]

That dish looks fantastic. I just have to add something about how to treat the saffron that I learned from my Persian grandmother: When you blend the saffron, put a little bit of it into the mortar, then add a very, very tiny amount of sugar before grinding it with the pestil. Those small sugar grains help you get a finer powder when grinding which facilitates the flavour extraction that happens in the next step when you dissolve that powder in hot water.

[@northenice]

Well, I´m Spanish, and I can say that even if you didn´t use the original paella pan ( paellera) you adapted well. In the end is more of a tradition to cook for everyone than to be exact using the perfect object. And the result is wonderful. Remember that the perfect Paella will always be a hard one to achive,. Many villages around Valencia and Barcelona do it way different, so as long as you liked it, should be fine. Superb job pal.

[@marsasvillamsv7339]

Paella, no paellera.

[@earlofwickshire5416]

Do people come up to you and say "¡Tango un gato grande en mis pantalones!" a lot? In the 90s that was the cool thing to say

[@northenice]

@@marsasvillamsv7339 Aqui en Valladolid la llamamos así. ¿Está mal? Es posible, pero probablemente así se quede hasta el infinito XD

[@Meoiswa]

@@marsasvillamsv7339 Diccionario de la Real Academia Española: "paellero, ra: 5) Recipiente metálico a modo de sartén, de poco fondo y con asas, que sirve para hacer la paella."

[@eliseodomingi7122]

Hi Alex, a true Valencian here. Your paella looks, in all honesty, absolutely amazing. I just need to see the texture you achieved to guarantee that you nailed it. Maybe we would use other seefood species or other fish for the fumet, but just use what you have at hand because your technique is, I'd say, the best I've seen in foreign cooks attempting paella. I would suggest you only two things, among the variety of tips some commentators have already posted. Fish stock we don't cook over twenty minutes, lest it gets an akward taste reminiscent of amoniac. It's true you were just simmering, so your outcome may be allright. Tip from my great grandmother regarding saffron. Just toast it. It enhances its flavour exponentially. You can wrap it in aluminium foil and toast is for just a few seconds over a hot pan. The press the roasted fibers between your fingers and you will get a powder you can easily sprinkle over your stock (when rice is already cooking).

[@MLeoDaalder]

"Today, on Not-Spanish Guy Cooking..." XD

[@adrianungureanu7402]

Hi Alex, comenting from Spain, your paella looks amazing for someone who made the dish for the first time it turned out very nice, I can't say the ame for mine haha, I like that broth you made it looked nice, but unfortunately that won't do for paella, here in Spain we use a type of broth called Fumet, it's made with crab, shrimp, langostine and prawn hells and heads, alongside various aromatics, the resoulting broth is thick cloudy and dark, it may not look good or apetising but that's what gives an amazing flavour to the paella, also what we use to fry stuff in our paellas is not only olive oil, we use something called ajo-perejil, it's a mix of extra virgin olive oil, parsley and garlic, it may not sound like mutch but it makes a great difference when it comes to the layers of flavours

[@lucyloving1Direction]

A particularity of Paella Valenciana is that you don't make a broth before hand. You cook all of the ingredients directly on the pan and then you add water to them and make the broth in the pan right before you add the rice. You will have a much more flavourful result that way. Also, pro-tip, us Valencians are very sensitive about the "toppings" that go on paella, making a simple paella valenciana is the best way to go. I can't wait for the rest of this series and watching you learn about the rich tradition of Paella! Edit: For anyone trying their hand out at making Paella, never use a non-stick pan! your rice will not cook properly and you will never get socarrat. Try and get a paella (pan) if you can so that the heat is very evenly distributed and make sure to only add a very small layer of rice.

[@alvileg]

This is true, and this is the way I personally do it, but I know many restaurants don't have the time to make each individual broth and just uses previously made stock (hopefully homemade), and it usually works. But yea, I agree that making the actual broth in the Paella results in a much tastier paella.

[@Meoiswa]

You can get socarrat with a nonstick, it's just way harder. Most nonstick pans are too thin and not built from steel, and therefore have uneven heating profiles, causing parts of the rice to burn before it has a chance to caramelize. I make Valencian paella for one at home with boneless chicken thighs in my largest nonstick pan, which is both wide enough to be "paella proportionate" for a single serving, and is made from stainless steel because it's also induction-ready (although my stove uses gas).

[@jamieaskin1215]

I’m late to the party but I’m so glad to find you! You’re fantastic! I look forward to all the videos I’ve missed!

[@italianlifestyle7911]

I love paella and everything about Spain for that matter, but unfortunately I've only had this awesome dish in Italy. This recipe though sure looks tempting.. the outcome so mouth watering, way more inviting than what I've tried so far here in Italy.😋

[@user-us6ce7me8k]

So do I🤩🤩

[@kylecarver257]

Congrats on 2m subs Alex, your videos are incredibly entertaining and well made. I love the way you articulate your thoughts throughout the whole process, you have earned this success man.

[@g.l.b.2123]

What has happened to Alex? He hasn't posted a video in two months? Is he okay?

[@pistacho.cerrao]

I've done paella even in a pot so it's ok to use other pan. But just so you know, at least in my family we never use a broth nor we do it in advance. The flavours come from the meat/fish and the sofrito with the saffron toasted in the pan before adding tomato. We NEVER put the rice before. The flavour comes from the broth we are making inside the paella, so we always taste test it before adding the rice to check for flavour and saltiness. Toasting the rice before may change the texture of the rice and the capacity of the bomba rice to absorb all the broth. P.D. I'm valencian.

[@faona2664]

I was thinking the same about the stock and the rice toasting. (Altre valencià)

[@Meoiswa]

People tend to fixate on the paella pan forgetting it's a kitchen tool made to make use of large wood fires rather than a pan made specifically for one recipe. Any cookware that can quickly transition in temperatures and has the appropriate size-to-flame-size will do,with the adequate amount of rice to match. Fill it too much, use a pan too large for the flame, or too thick/heavy to react quickly, and you'll end up with something closer to Arroz con Pollo than Paella

[@Psianth]

Been a while now. Is Alex ok?

[@Clyde__Frog]

3 Portions In a large pan: 1. Fry Seafood 1 min in Olive Oil, high heat to create fond 2. Add 1 Teaspoon garlic paste, fry for 30 seconds 3. Add 200ml Blended Tomatos and 2 heaped Teaspoons Paprika, fry for 2 min 4. Add 300g Rice, stir and fry for 1 min 5. Add 900ml Fish Stock and Saffron, stir well 6. Boil on Medium High for 10 mins 7.Simmer on low for 10 mins 8 Once liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked, add seafood 9. Heat on high for 1 min, heat seafood through and create crust on the bottom 10. Serve immidietly

[@craftedbyorre]

Oh yes, Alex’ favorite activity: Provoke Southern Europeans by making their food

[@Mumumuth]

No provocation here. In contrast to some infamous British cook, he did a great research job and all he is receiving are tips and nitpicks. And many congratulations as well!

[@reginadispagna]

Hi Alex! I am Spanish and I must say that you did a great job! Just to clarify, Paella de Valencia (or Paella Valenciana) does not only mean from Valencia city, but from Valencia region, Comunidad Valenciana (Valencia in short), which includes its three provinces, Castellon, Valencia and Alicante. You can find the best paellas there (also along the Mediterranean coast: Catalonia, Murcia and Balear islands) and there are so many varieties (always "paella" though, not rice with things). You should do a paella tour and try all of them: rabbit and snails paella is amazing, with chicken, black rice, arroz del "senyoret" (which is fish and seafood paella with the convenience that all is already peeled and mixed with the rice, so you do not have to get your hands dirty removing the shell), and the list goes on and on... Cheers xxx

[@WhoDoneIt9275]

2 months and no videos…wtf???

[@marcodamato5824]

Alex paella Valenciana is with rabbit and chicken, don’t miss the classical one !! You should try it !!

[@LaurensPP]

Why do you blur it on the thumbnail. That's actually so cheap.

[@Dasheek_]

So you want to see it lol he has to farm views

[@alexakalennon]

Could have shot the shot over the edge of the pan... So you just see a glimpse of it. But I'll watch anyway

[@JackDespero]

It is a joke.

[@ndlh1]

I think that's the most Spanish Seafood Paella I've ever seen cooked by a non Spanish Guy. He cared about learning how to do It right, selecting the right type of ingredients, order, pan and rice (bomba), the stock and the process. A+++ for him. My respects to this guy

[@vitaliyshostak8812]

Alex, you've caused me to go down the same exact rabbit hole. I spent so many hours researching and obsessing already. I received my paella pan yesterday, along with my Bomba rice and saffron. 13" paella, feeding 3-6 people. I will master both styles of paella (seafood and traditional chicken/rabbit) with you. Im most excited for a seafood paella. I'm looking to make it in the style that is really thin/shallow, with a lot of texture (rice/socarrat ratio). I have 3 kilos bomba rice, I will experiment with heat sources (indoor 10kbtu burner, outdoor 50k btu propane burner, and my Weber grill loaded with charcoal and/or wood, possibly trying a 150k+ wok burner). I annoy people when I obsess over certain things, as I'm sure you do to, but they are eternally grateful for our food offerings. We will master this dish together. I wish you all the luck brother!

[@kiliang96]

I have an old wood fired paella stove made in Valencia, it's essentially an open fire bbq but it's round to fit paellas, if you can create such a set up, you're good to go for wood fired paella, although I use more the buthane one because it's more practical for me when I'm cooking alone for all the family or friends

[@lisahinton9682]

@Vitaliy Shostak "...as I'm sure you do TOO" is the correct spelling. :-) I am sure you'd want to know, hence my comment. Good luck making the most delicious paella. I have faith in you!

[@kicosegura]

I'm glad to watch Paella series!! You really work hard and put passion into your videos! Love your channel

[@pacorabane2319]

I love how you respect culture of spain and all other countries, thank you for the work and great vídeo

[@jadeyu4610]

I learnt to squash the shrimp heads when first frying it in the pan. It releases that seafoody umami juice from the shrimp heads that really add to the fond of the pan and layers of flavor.

[@antipetazeta]

you made it great @Alex . Just some tips from a valencian: Never put salt while preparing the broth (it goes when its with the rice, it makes it easier to control the salty level) Vegetables are a bit cooked before adding fish bones (reason is they last just 15 to 20 minutes boiling, not more or its too strong the broth while vegetables last longer boiling)

[@KiCkFLiPKiCkFLiP]

Well done Alex, you got the principles of a “perfect paella” perfectly described and the final result looks really good indeed! As an experienced paella cook myself, I’ll recommend you to try this next time: instead of 10 min + 10 min + 30/60 seconds high heat, do 10 min + 8 min + 30/60secs and then, cover the pan with a clean cloth (not soap or softener smell from the washing machine), and allow it to steam and rest for 3 to 4 minutes. You will see the difference.

[@Lunalester94]

Alex, as spanish guy who ate Paella almost every sunday, and also loves to cook. I gotta say, you did an amazing job there. Respect

[@norbergarcia497]

Dear Alex, as a valencian home-cook, I would like to share some tipps: 1- traditionally we let the broth cook first before adding the rice, otherwise your ration of 3:1 will be off. Some also measure the rice by eye doing a rice strip over the boiling broth called "caballó". 2- The temperature of the pan during the 18 minutes (not 20, at least for not-Bomba rice, which is also fine to start with) that it takes to cook the rice, has to be decreased progressively: starting high and ending low before increasing it at the end to achieve the "socarraet" (of course extending the time depending on the speed in which the water boils: A good thumb rule is to expect the rice to "show up" above the water after the 10 minute time mark and then start with the progressive decrease after the rice can be seen), rather than a fast reduction in temperature as you showed in the graph, I would try doing it in progressive little steps to have a better control.

[@blogleftbanker]

The close-ups of the rice grains remind me how people in Valencia will examine your paella before eating it. I half-expect friends to pull out a jeweler's glass to inspect my paella.

[@alvaroponess]

As a spanish person, I can say to you that you just did an amazing job extolling the Mediterranean gastronomy with such an amazing work of art, and also respecting the traditions of both the dish and the culture.

[@marioescribano2344]

im from spain and yeah, there might be some different likes (i personally like paella with chicken and prawns instead of mussels, maybe om from the ones that doesnt dilute the safron, the dish wasnt cooked in a paella so to say, so you had to look up for a substitute...), but oh man, you got it right, that DOES look like a paella, perfectly done, respecting the dish and im thankful for it. you have investigated the dish, you have traveled and tasted it, you have understood it... what can i say this is one of the very few paellas ive seen on the internet done right(even some recogniced chefs do their own versions and end up butchering it, as probbably we spaniards may have butchered many other dishes from other countries). Ive been following alex for 3 years or so now, and i was very excited to see this, thank you man

[@Mizuki312]

The technique and the rice texture were perfect! I'm from Spain but I don't cook often, so I've only cooked paella 2 times in my life (and honestly the results were REALLY good). I recommend you to try some paella without any seafood or fish on it (not even in the stock). You can replace it with a strong flavor like beef (using bones or a clean piece of meat to make a strong broth), and my personal preference for toppings is always peas, red pepper and chicken (cut in small pieces and preferably from the thigh) Making it a little spicy with black pepper is also an option, and it feels really great when it's very hot and you get a subtle but noticeable black pepper touch. You just try and experiment, and don't be afraid of what people could say about it in Valencia or in Spain. Many people here make paella with artichokes or asparagus, which I don't really like. It's all about what you want to make it like. One last idea that I still have to try: Brunoise cut zucchini and chicken as the only toppings. If you try this, I would like to know how good it was :D

[@Juan11895]

As a Spaniard, I knew there were going to be thousands of comments from Valencian people telling you how to properly make paella (fun fact: it's just their personal, familiar way of making it. Ask another Valencian and they'll tell you the opposite. The perfect paella doesn't exist, there is no common agreement on that) All Spain knows that they just can't shut up when they see someone else making paella. Thank god there are not many aggressive Valencian paella hooligans, because those are very frequent whenever anybody makes paella

[@gnomobarbudo7630]

I think all your Spanish followers are very happy with your paella! Your Spanish speaking skills are also cool :)

[@pezzodipunto2239]

You clearly take your business seriously, many thanks for taking us through the Paella algorithm.

[@rg.g2704]

As a Spanish guy I totally accept this…. Usually people who try to make Spanish rice make it totally wrong. You Alex probably make it like a profesional paella chef. Congrats!!!

[@Lure_01]

Hello Alex, Spanish chef here, this dish you made is amazing, one key thing that you forgot to say but actually did perfectly is the height of the dish. In theory a paella should be as shallow as possible, that is, literally one grain of rice tall. Also I'm so glad you didn't use chorizo.

[@grunka4680]

I was in Spain very recently and had real paella for the first time and it was really a whole new experience

[@Roxomus]

I am missing my weekly "salut!" and high quality editing hit. Alexie plz come back 😭🥺😶‍🌫️

[@icarusxxxx7048]

Alex, for the fish soup You must to use only rock fish like monkfish, and put only friet ñora (is a spanish pepper) and friet tomato, and you dont need anything else

[@hovi8050]

I have also found that when I have added the saffron dishes before, I want to disperse it throughout the larger broth. I do this for risotto too. One time I made quinoa and I wanted to add saffron to the pot after adding aromatics. I poured in the infused liquid and it evaporated quick and ended up staying in this one area of the pot. Even after adding the broth after, it was most concentrated where it hit the pot and wasnt so present in other areas of the quinoa.

[@dizzle6709]

My family would go scalloping every summer in Florida. Everyone got rid of the entire thing. Nobody saved any piece other than the muscle. It was so fun swimming in the gulf grabbing scollops while snorkeling.

[@Jose_Gil]

An appreciation: the "pimenton" must be put BEFORE the tomato. So you toast the "pimenton" a little (better over low heat)... and before it burns, you put the tomato, which helps thanks to its own water to stop the cooking of the "pimenton". This small change, changes the flavor of the paella

[@luis2864]

I am spanish. You did it perfect. 9.5/10. Paella is a simple dish made by humble people of the countryside with the ingredients they had at their hand. Its a simple way of combining simple ingredientes and make it just great. Simple, great and allways eat with somebody. (family or friends)

[@rashnuofthegoldenscales4512]

Of course, the Persian way of treating saffron will elevate everything ;-)

[@Marlon0375]

And the quantity of the Rice is x3 of broth. Example : 400grs of Rice is 1,200L of broth. In the case if you want a Arroz Caldoso, is a little bit more of broth.

[@pabloterrasasaez7013]

Hi Alex! , I'm from Valencia and here we use the heads and the shell of the shrimp to do the stock, and by the way we call that stock "Fumet". Thank you very much.

[@RicardoGarCeb]

Very relieved to see a good video in KZbin making seafood rice. Just a quick note from a spanish rice cooker, we do have rice recipes with more "watery" finishes, the "meloso" which is kind of like risotto, though we do not use butter, we just add 50% more water (or stock) in total and it is very good for vegetable rices; and "caldoso" which are soupy and are eaten with spoon (though you use a spoon for dry rice), we add 100% more water to total and it is indicated for cold seasons with heavy toppings like hunting meats. Oh, and in my province, Alicante we do have another recipe "Arroz al horno" oven-cooked rice with an egg crust on the top, like a cake or a quiche. Very good and heavy, also indicated for cold days, you shouod try it (it is much more difficult to make than paella, take this as a challenge)