Pro Chef Reacts... To The WORST Paella! | Epicurious

I had a request to review Epicurious Paella so let's see how they do! if you would like to know how we make them here in Spain. Then I will leave a few links below for you to see how to make a real Paella!
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[@ChefJamesMakinson]

*Hope all of you are well! if you would like another Spanish recipe then these PATATAS BRAVAS are delicious!* kzbin.info/www/bejne/p3TcdoeCaryfgNk

[@MattMcQueen1]

Could you review Chef John's video on paella (Food Wishes) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qpqtfn2wo6acZrs - some of the same issues as other videos.

[@lokithecat7225]

"To an even WORSE" or "The WORST"

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@lokithecat7225 www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worst

[@shepherdsgamingrun]

​@@ChefJamesMakinson The objection is to the use of "even" with worst. If you look at the examples, none of them use "even." That is because "worst" is the absolute highest level and there can't be one that is more. Since you don't already have a video about "the worst" paella, the correct phrasing is "the worst," not "even worst." We're pointing this out because we care. We think you are a positive model for YT food commentary -- positive and objective without being offensive. Keep up the good work.

[@TheRevan1337]

Loved the recent reaction video and this one ^^

[@imalwaysbluffing]

That cut from “people will yell at you for using chorizo” to “I love chorizo” was pure excellence by the editors.

[@vell0cet517]

I took my wife (girlfriend at the time) to a paella cooking class for her birthday hosted at a local Spanish restaurant and taught by the chef who immigrated from Spain. It was a fantastic experience, but I'll never forget when I asked him about adding chorizo to the paella. He went from pleasant and friendly to angry. "NO CHORIZO IN THE PAELLA! Everything tastes like chorizo! it ruins the dish."

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😂 chorizo can be overpowering, you can make arroz con chorizo but it's not paella.

[@Kyle-nm1kh]

Jalapeños I think ruin the dish (any dish) by making everything taste like jalapeño. I'd rather taste many flavors than 1 single flavor

[@diarmuidkuhle8181]

​@@Kyle-nm1khjalapeño peppers are a great addition to some dishes, you just don't use a big amount.

[@ginnyweatherbee7941]

I think what Daniel doesn’t realize is that fresh seafood 90% of the time in America is flash frozen, so it’s still kind of frozen

[@NoxaClimaxX]

Adding onto that, frozem seafood is usually even more fresh than “fresh” seafood, as it is frozen and then dethawed.

[@XeroJin84]

They flash freeze a lot of the seafood to kill parasites

[@ginnyweatherbee7941]

@@XeroJin84 true, I was just annoyed by Daniel’s attitude toward it, that’s all.. people use what’s available to them.

[@ChezJ1]

@@ginnyweatherbee7941 yeah he sounds like a bit of a food snob lol.

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

I'm pretty sure the shrimp he used was parcooked & frozen.

[@tessx2316]

Something as simple as "if it has a slightly burnt smell, it's burnt." Was so funny :D

[@limonynada007]

Actually, Daniel's paella (2nd) looks like the best one, despite having the totally sinful chorizo. I dont know what the pro chef was thinking about with that heavy burnt rice, cold stock and hot peppers.

[@BitmapFrogs]

Daniels paella is chock full of crunchy barely cooked red pepper… 🤢

[@miguelonqueso96]

As one person has said. He has Big uncook chunks of red pepper. He didn't make a sofrito or at least what he did was half and wrong. And for gods sake. CHORIZO?????? La maaaadre que lo reparioooooo hay que ser bien ignorante para decir que creció en una casa española con comida española y echarle chorizo a la paella...

[@DeathnoteBB]

@@BitmapFrogsWhats wrong with crunchy pepper? Some people prefer it to be crunchy versus sad and limp

[@BitmapFrogs]

@@DeathnoteBB there's no place in a paella for crunchy pepper because it isn't a salad, or sad pepper, you either melt the pepper in the sofrito or you use no pepper

[@martinaasandersen3775]

Looked very wet because he covered it. Doubt it was crispy.

[@albertminj9714]

i always find it strange that they judge their own food... of course they will enjoy it.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I was thinking the same thing! haha

[@buddigabong]

A lot of the Condé Nast channels focus on personality over quality of information.

[@ChezJ1]

Same here, they’re never going to say, damn this sucks lmbo. The big problem is ppl will make this wrong if they follow their lead, and when it comes out wrong and they ruin their dinner party, date night etc, they’re going to look/feel stupid and that’s just not right. 😒

[@brancorocks]

Another surprise for me was that I didn't expect the professional to fail on the technical aspects of a paella I'm Indian and even i know that it wasn't a crunchy bottom but a burnt one was even more suprised to be more inclined to cook the paella made by the guy who was at cooking level two

[@nursecory7033]

But does it taste good. If it tastes good then who cares. Different cultures come up with similar dishes around the world given similar ingredients. Enjoy your food.

[@Foxkitos2020]

Finally a chef from abroad who understands and respect the original recipes. Un abrazo James

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Gracias! :)

[@Hexotoxyn]

I find a lot of the time that a lot of latin american dishes get confused with spanish dishes especially in the u.s. thats why so many things in america called spanish whatever arent things youd probably see in spain

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@Hexotoxyn yeah they do a lot of people in the US think that Spanish is Mexican and vice versa

[@TechTesting]

if u want traditional then don't watch these lol those 3 for sure aren't making "traditional" ones lol there are probably thousands of traditional Paella recepies on youtube

[@FroggerbobT]

Probably helps that he's a chef in Spain...

[@picaro85]

Cant stop watching the train wrecks. You are a very restrained person, James. This is actually quite a good video of the easy to fall into mistakes, and you guide the audience to the right tips, good stuff.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@michaelhawkins7389]

@@ChefJamesMakinson James , in the UK Paella is often seen as a seafood dish but how authentic is that to the original Spanish verison ?

[@guillebuendia530]

Well, seeing her boil the rice in a separate pot and constantly stirring It just killed me inside, even more than using chorizo and morcilla, holy god

[@quangan1288]

She’s using boxed paella so maybe the instruction on the back told her to do so? I’ve never seen one though.

[@Jojo-bg1re]

Shes a lvl 1 cook give her some slack

[@SoulAcid1]

@@Jojo-bg1re So she should stay on her lvl? Criticism is not always bad.

[@BronzedBeast]

@DrachenOdem not really a critique. Those are ment to be respectful and enlightening. When you're just rude and over the top you don't teach anything

[@Gdhttu]

@@SoulAcid1magine having this mindset lmao - do you seriously want people to never try cooking “new and hard” (even if they’ve made it before) to them things ?? How would you ever develop any culinary skills or even your TASTE BUDS if that’s how the world worked

[@pandamilkshake]

Little known fact is that the real traditional paella was actually made with rabbit and rat instead of rabbit and chicken. The rat they used is called "Rata de Albufera" which was a very big, fat kind of rat that was very easily found around Valencia at the time.

[@aanvidugar3272]

..... rat? like literal plague carrying rats?

[@theKingmaker108]

​@@aanvidugar3272 Yep, although fleas carry plague not rats.

[@ericdravenashecorven]

I loved Onika's enthusiasm, I don't care that she's not a pro chef, I just love how much she loves to cook. Her attitude is infectious! Also I'm not even close to a professional chef, and I could tell the Level 3 chef burnt the hell out of his dish without you saying it. That's so bad, yikes. My guy is really over here trying to sell people on burnt-to-hell food, so burnt a non-cook like me can tell.

[@joddle23]

also ironic but not totally surprising that the level 3 chef said "this dish is perfect, I'd give myself a pat on the back" yet his paella burned on the bottom, and his ingredients burned during their prep. chef james was being pretty restrained in his reaction all things considered!

[@donb7519]

@@joddle23 i mean frank definitely knows he burned it but they probably instruct him to stay positive and keep up the facade and they probably dont have enough time for a take 2

[@joddle23]

@@donb7519 Yeah I understand that, and every chef messes up... but man that's a gutsy and possibly misguided move by the video producers "We're running overtime here! Just smile through the burn!"

[@donb7519]

@@joddle23 plus most people wont care tbh its not that risky

[@BronzedBeast]

@Derek O'Connor tbf Frank is probably expensive on the pay roll so they can only keep him for so long

[@rodneyferris4089]

I like your reviews. No obscenity and offensive language just full on personal reflection. Thank you for this.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you very much!

[@blc28x]

I was thinking the same thing! I also like how you give us some alternatives if we are short on pans or ingredients. The language lessons don’t hurt either 👍🏻 😊 🥘

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@blc28x thank you!

[@salimmazid9027]

@@ChefJamesMakinson i bet this video was hard on you. Did you feel like killing that "professional" chef?

[@sazji]

Iranians are also extremely particular about that crispy layer at the bottom of rice dishes (chelo and pollo). It’s not easy to get right, and takes a lot of practice. But that third black one would have had Iranians in tears. The whole dish would indeed be infused with the most exquisite aroma of burnt rice.

[@ricardocruz4235]

So are puerto ricans. We call that crispy layer 'pegao' and it's a big deal. Cool to learn that this spans across cultures!

[@corsicanlulu]

@@ricardocruz4235 dominicans call it con-con and its the best part of the rice to me

[@verybarebones]

It has spaniards in tears too

[@thatHARVguy]

@@corsicanlulu As others have commented we never let rice on the bottom get to a burnt stage, just crispy/toasted. Chinese families make congee (rice porridge).

[@PaulaBean]

Koreans do it too.

[@Dariet88]

as a spaniard living in Valencia, I really appreciate the respect you have for our cocina. Have you considered showing the world our amazing cocidos?

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

not yet! its about that time as well! :)

[@sissyjoeold7657]

paella also exists here in my country of the Philippines (a former Spanish colony, hence the culinary influence), and paella here have key differences like using sticky rice or other heirloom rice here, and safflower or atsuete as colorant instead of saffron and chorizo and/or longganisa is commonly used in our paella (or paelya a native alternative name)

[@agentsus9681]

I love the Seafood paella The Red Crab has. I order it every time we go there. Also, it's pretty interesting huh? We never really inherited how the Spanish pronounce the double L. We pronounce it pa•el•ya.

[@sissyjoeold7657]

@@agentsus9681 apparently, the way we pronounce the double L is closer to how it was classically pronounced. Man, maritess crab from red crab...yum

[@hayati6374]

@@agentsus9681 not long ago it was pronounced like ly, or like lh in Portuguese where it hasn’t changed

[@Croyles]

As the video shows, chorizo is not an ingredient in classic paella.

[@TheBigMagnet]

@@sissyjoeold7657 Catalan does not have the ly sound, which even in Spanish nowadays you only hear in a couple of places in north Castile. So the pronunciation for the Spanish dish, is pa-EH-ya. On the other hand for the PInoy version - yep, it's theirs so they can call it like they want. I'm guessing the longganisa and chorizo come from the Mexican influence.

[@pinowsky]

I loved you reactions. I laughed so hard just by looking at your face expressions. Many of the react videos I watch are many times exaggerated but your reactions were natural and sincere, more believable. Thanks also for taking the time to explain what they got wrong and how to do it right.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you so much!!

[@wolfparkour]

Thank you for being a templar for real spanish food, I respect your knowledge

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that!

[@Netreek]

It is allways intersting how they taste their own dish and say "MMmmm that is perfect." Well, I can cook also for myself. I take some rice, ham, potatoes and ketchup and call it a dinner and say "Mmmm 3 Stars Gourmetfood.", while someone else would say "How can you even eat that vile, smelly, overcooked, undercooked, raw, burned thing. I don't even know how you did that? That is raw and that is overcooked." So a taste test for me is if I give someone else but me a taste of it. I just do some tasting inbetween you check if it needs more spices.

[@HO1ySh33t]

pretty much all restaurant-cooked salmon are overcooked to me. For me, if the salmon in the middle isn't rare/blue, it's overcooked and tastes like canned salmon I also like my potato in stew still waxy, so all these potatoes "cooked to perfection that melt in your mouth" are just way overcooked. Just to illustrate that people's taste in food can be pretty arbitrary.

[@mercadv]

Tbh as a person from a former Spanish colony, every country has its own paella dish

[@matejbosela9093]

@@HO1ySh33t for a stew or creamy/rich soup with potatoes - try separating 2 bigger (0.5kg or 1lb) potatoes and quarter them. Add them first into the pot, even before the meat. Cook the stew and about 5-10 minutes before the end of cooking, add the rest of potatoes. You will end up with both of the worlds ("overcooked" potatoes will add flavour and firmness - i lack a better word for that - to the stew and the actual potatoes will still be in the stew). This is the way of goulash stew/soup.

[@BLKWIDOWX]

tbh that’s what u never understood about epicurious. it always should’ve been level 3 tries level one, level 1 tries level 2, and level two tries level 1. of course the people that made it are going to be like “wow so good!”

[@kevincrosby1760]

@@matejbosela9093 Another way is to mind what TYPE of potatoes you buy. Russett potatoes will dissolve into creamy mush. Yukon Gold potatoes will retain their "bite" if cooked in the exact same manner. There are many varieties of potatoes which fall between the two. Another "gotcha" is onions. I know people who will only buy "Walla Walla Sweet" onions, and will turn their noses up at local "sweet" onions. The local sweet onions are genetically identical to the Walla Walla Sweet variety. The difference is all legalities...they are grown in Benton and Franklin counties, rather than 1 mile away across the Snake River in Walla Walla County.

[@stephenbeckman208]

Cured chorizo is just way too strong to cook with. That oil that comes out will just smother pretty much everything else, especially that really expensive, subtle saffron!

[@rafaxd8178]

Actually, in some regions of Spain exist the "arroz a la zamorana" (rice from Zamora) which is rice with chorizo along other pork meat (like ribs, ears, hands, lard, etc). Is not paella, but it's quite similar, and it's delicious.

[@TheHortoman]

Arroz a la zamorana and arroz con chistorra and many varieties of arroz caldoso are also great although i prefer not eating seafood so valencian paella with chicken and rabbit really is great

[@manuelpineiromourazos6514]

@@TheHortoman so... arroz "a la zomorana" it's the rice version of "a la riojana" from potatos?

[@tinycoley875]

@@manuelpineiromourazos6514 We love the Paella with squid ink, although messy to eat

[@huzaifahabdulwahab1499]

Uncle Roger, defender of egg fried rice. Vincenzo’s plate, defender of carbonara. And now chef James, defender of paella! XD

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Haha 😂

[@huzaifahabdulwahab1499]

@@ChefJamesMakinson for real though, i love your videos and insights! inspiring me to cook again

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@huzaifahabdulwahab1499 thank you!

[@AmbitionIsaMust115]

L0l0l!

[@melikatalks7676]

We love to see it ❤😂

[@tomlindsay4629]

The look you gave the camera at the mention of smoked paprika had me laughing out loud! Really great video, excellent professional commentary.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thanks!

[@tomlindsay4629]

@@ChefJamesMakinson, "he burned it". That, and his onion dicing and garlic chopping kinda made me angry; I can only guess at his salary.

[@RinaJosscy]

You got me excited to make real paella! I made it in the past, but I realize now it was never authentic. Great Video, keep it up

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you! let me know if you have any questions!

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

@@ChefJamesMakinson I understand most paella pans are carbon steel, but they don't seem to be seasoned. If that's the case then why, and is there any reason other than price to use carbon steel over stainless?

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@vespasiancloscan7077 most are seasoned in the kitchens. I really don't like carbon steel paellas they rust too easily and can be dented too easily as well. Stainless paellas are much more ergonomic. the big downside with stainless is that it's heavier. If you were to buy a large paella, like a 70cm or 90cm then I would suggest buying the classic carbon steel one as it's not something that you are going to use every day and they may be cheaper as well.

[@vespasiancloscan7077]

@@ChefJamesMakinson thanks!

[@camebackcat1487]

look elsewhere for a real paella tutorial

[@annapavlakis7626]

I live in the Comunidad Valenciana, and, even though I've never tried to make paella, I can tell you that none of those were paella. Frank's was the closest, but still. #notpaella.

[@carlosandleon]

Rice on pan = Paella

[@camebackcat1487]

This is the only true comment here. At the most generous, they might be considered arroz con cosas. Also, very few Spaniards can make a proper paella.

[@apreciemos]

In the Canary Islands we do a lot of this not-paella stuff, but we call it 'arroz amarillo' and go on with our lives without Valencians telling us what goes in what doesn't lol. If it had no shrimps (don't really like them) I would gladly eat Daniel's dish. I appreciate a lot having you showing your own cooking while reacting to these videos. Many reaction channels just get angry and point at all the flaws and mistakes, but they don't dare to do the cooking themselves. That's definitely not your case.

[@danielgyila3662]

Que grandes, yendo a vuestra puta bola jajsjs

[@gemmacruz8529]

Yep! Arroz amarillo, one of the best things! Whether you like to use rabbit, chicken, pork, snails, prawns... Whatever! Arroz amarillo.

[@Ignasi666]

You can absolutely go to any decently sized supermarket in Spain and find morcilla (or butifarra negra, if you're in Catalonia). It won't be particularly good (the ones you can find at a butcher shop are significantly better...and costlier), but it's a very common product. It's actually a staple of Spanish cuisine and can be found in many stews. That being said, using it in a paella is pretty unheard of.

[@mytotim8978]

De hecho cada comunidad autónoma tiene sus propias morcillas... las de León con y sin arroz y la de Murcia que jamás lleva arroz son completamente distintas.

[@VladimirGorev]

The simple fact that you don’t only “react”, but also explain and show the right approach, made me subscribe. Please continue to provide us with very useful insights:) P.S. I’d definitely eat Daniel’s paella, I don’t mind chorizo:) Other two… no f…ng way!

[@JessScreams]

I’m going to be real, Daniel’s demeanor gives me the vibe that he thinks he knows a lot more than he actually does - like he would “um, actually -“ other people while theyre cooking lol But that’s just the vibe I’m getting as a complete amateur cook

[@bradk7969]

In this day and age so refreshing how objective and logical u are Chef James. Never disrespectful but absolutely chock full of useful information. Family was so impressed with paella because i listened to u and not everyone else scored big points lol. I may be amateur but learned enough to know listen to Chef not wannabes lol

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that!

[@NoxaClimaxX]

I know that Frank had been waiting for months to make that paella, and I imagine this was his personal recipe. I’d probably try his just because I want to try blood sausage, but that did look pretty burnt.

[@Naksuu]

If you want to try the worlds best blood sausage, come to Finland and specifically the city Tampere. I can guarantee you won't be let down. A sausage thats made only in a small city in a small country. And I ain't biased at all.. ;)

[@ivandemiguel8607]

if you want to try the “blood sausage” don’t try it in a paella… please do yourself a favor and don’t do it… Eat morcilla de Burgos and you will discover a whole new world of flavor….

[@wullaballoo2642]

Lancashire is arguably the place most associated with it in Britain. Bury, and Bury Market, if we're being very specific. Nearby Ramsbottom hosts the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships which gives an indication of just how serious they take their Black Pudding in that county.

[@tinycoley875]

@@ivandemiguel8607 My wife ordered it by mistake but loved it. Very soft and rich though and nothing like british black pudding which is also very good but much firmer

[@PerfectBite]

Where is Level 4? A REAL Paella? I just want to point out that we DO have more rice dishes and variants, here in Spain, that are served in restaurants (which we call an arroceria). Some of the combinations in those restauarants can be a wide variety (especially using mushrooms or iberico pork), but of course we don't refer to them as a Paella. I think that is where some of the confusion has come from over time in other countries, about the contents of the 'traditional' paella. The only comment I slightly disagree with (and to be clear, I don't usually disagree with James 😉) was that the traditional ingredients used were because 'seafood was harder to get' and 'meant to be a poor man's dish' - Not entirely correct. Seafood back in those days was extremely abundant, especially in the Valencia and Gandia regions. But Paella was originally a rice farm labourers' food, which was cooked over a wood fire to make a lunchtime meal. Because of this, they originally used ingredients that were easy to source near the rice fields (tomatoes, onions, and yes even snails). The 'Paella Valenciana' then evolved from that over time, adding the likes of rabbit, beans and saffron, for that extra special colour and flavour. The 'poor man's' version of this would more aptly be 'Arroz a banda' which was traditionally made in the same area by using very humble ingredients, including fish stock from the leftover fish bones. Other than that sir....great video!! Keep those views rolling in!

[@rhysjackson2597]

I could listen to your commentary all day. Such a calming voice and your food knowledge is another level. Respect chef!

[@Elniniss]

I used to work at a family Mexican restaurant so I was taught to cut onion like chef frank did. I once saw my wife struggling with onions for tacos and when I told her how to cut them she freaked out lol

[@danjwheatley]

the reactions to vincenzo and nigelng are fun but this was the first of your vids i've seen where you talk about spanish food and i love it! would love to see more like this, and am just loading up the patatas bravas one now :)

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I'm glad to hear that! :)

[@MyAjjisKitchen]

Hi there. I really enjoyed this review. I have learnt a lot for you. I enjoyed listening to how knowledgeable you are about all things culinary. I am not formally trained, but I LOVE to cook. Cheers! Sandee

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you!

[@larry-mk6bc]

Hey, I think you should react to Adam Ragusea's Paella. Lots of spaniards seem to compliment him in the comments. Also heads up, Adam is just a humble home cook who's cooking for his family, nothing really fancy and stuff.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I will check it out!

[@plumokin5535]

I love Adam and I'd love to see this as well!

[@arturoalvarezkawai6773]

I'm not a professional cook. I just cook for the family at home and have been doing it for about three decades, and I can tell these guys made a lot of mistakes in the video, and learnt a lot, too. Look forward to another video of yours.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you Arturo!

[@sushiamg5767]

This is great, I knew most of it, but its great to hear it in English and the way it is explained is super in detail and super chill, cause I learned how to make paella through a lot of hits on the head by the guy who was teaching me, now I know the reasons for the stuff I was doing. And its amazing to see an english speaking chef who has huge amount of experience with spanish cookery.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you! yeah I remember the same thing haha the old days!

[@artemis0666]

As a Mexican trying to expand some horizons as a home cook, this was definitely enlightening to see! Very serious review and commentary. Thank you! Think i will view your video of Omar as a guideline for how to make this. Ps. I find funny that your first picture about "chorizo in paella" happened to be from jamie Oliver.

[@lluisg.8578]

You're right, this version from Jamie is one of the most hated ones because spreaded the wrong idea of chorizo in the paella all around the world.

[@jeffreychandler8418]

never thought i'd have the opposite energy but same dedication to paella as uncle roger does with fried rice.

[@Jorge94DC]

Great, I finally found an Spanish Chef with recipes! Gracias! Estoy ansioso por probar tus recetas extraño mucho la comida española!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

¡Muchas gracias! dime si tienes alguna duda

[@angrybeluga1697]

A useful video! The commentary is useful as well. To my surprise, the "level 1" contestant (Onika?) did quite well, even if she deviated from the traditional recipe. I sense Cajun/creole influence in her interpretation, such as the use of cayenne pepper and seafood. This seems legit to me, because Spanish cooks seem to have gone in that direction as well, as in Paella de Mariscos. The commentator here pointed out that you should finely slice the squid, because this dish requires a significant amount of time on the heat.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Jambalaya seems very similar to paella, This could be a reason why a lot of people in the US think it should always have chorizo, it is a rice dish, it mixes meat (Andouille sausage) and seafood. The south does have a lot of French, and Spanish influence.

[@lluisg.8578]

Not at all, L1 paella was the worst belive me. A Mexican, spicy paella from a box... no way man!

[@ChezJ1]

EXCELLENT video Chef James, I thoroughly enjoyed your commentary on it. I actually follow one of these guys, Chef Frank from “Proto cooks,” the other two I don’t know. Frank is usually pretty good but it really looked like he was struggling on this one. I think I’m qualified to say that after working 30 years in a kitchen myself. I wouldn’t attempt to make something like this dish unless I had someone like you guiding me, someone who KNOWS what they’re talking about. Another one I would follow is Albert Bravia from “Spain on a fork,” do you know him? I recommend looking him up, maybe you guys are close enuf to do a collaborative video, the kid knows his stuff and will tell you himself he’s not a Chef. Thanks again Chef, have a great week. 👏👏👏👏👏

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much John! yes I know of Albert and he does a very good job! I would love to do a collab with him he doesn't live that far from me! haha Have a brilliant week!!

[@kaybrown4010]

@@ChefJamesMakinson Please do that colab with Albert! Spain on Two Forks!

[@HeronCoyote1234]

Yes, I love Albert! Literally half of my printed recipes in my notebook are his. He has six separate videos on paella. I would LOVE to see a collaboration of James and Albert.

[@Bajaranger]

I cook paella frequently and compete in regional paella and wine festivals in and around Baja California. I really enjoyed watching this video and listening to your commentary. I learned a lot and picked up some tips that I will incorporate into my prep work that I hope will make my paella even more wonderful. Thanks from Ensenada, Baja California Mexico

[@mariawhite7337]

I cut onions like so: Cut in half along the root. Then skin. Cut lengthwise near the root but not all the way through. Then slice the other way to dice. I learned this from restaurant impossible.

[@abrahamperez4801]

I'm sure they both have done really tasty paellas, but none of them should be called paella. The thing is paella is not a recipe you can improvise with, it has actually very strict rules and I like how James knows the rules and the way he respects it. It is really encouraging to see an experiences chef, that wasn't born Spanish, knows that much about us, our food and culture. This is great discovery as a channel, I will keep an eye here!

[@gregorsamsa1364]

That's not how food works. Or language. Of course you can improvise with it

[@abrahamperez4801]

@@gregorsamsa1364 No my friend, there are dishes that has cultural boundries and it is a lack of respect to mess with. Paella, is a dish with a name, you don't change the ingredients, or the cooking process, unless you call it something else. You can call it "your recipe with rice" which will be absolutely normal. I know this is hard to understand for certain people, but imagine using pork in a recipe that comes from a muslim country, that would be disrespectful, to change the recipe to add something that is not there and goes against its cultural roots, well, this is the same. Cancelar Responder

[@gregorsamsa1364]

@@abrahamperez4801absolute nonsense. There are no strict rules here and it harms absolutely no one to make variations on dishes. Not to mention that there are a bunch of variations on this dish made even within Spain. Not to mention that, as the dude who made this video said in a different video, this originated as a peasant dish in which people would use what they happened to have. Sorry, Mr gatekeeper, but you don't get to dictate what other people cook or what name they use to refer to what they cook. That isn't how food works and it isn't how language works. And I would have absolutely no problem taking a dish from a Muslim culture, adding pork to it or substituting pork instead of lamb or beef, yet still referring to it by the same name. In fact, I sometimes like to add to my shakshuka.........none other than...................chorizo. which I would also have no problem adding to a paella. Sounds to me like it would work very well. There's probably good reason why it's quite common

[@brunospasta]

@@gregorsamsa1364 I agree that there is absolutely no harm in experimenting with recipe s. Yet, if I watch a professional chef cooking a certain dish, I expect this to be the authentic one and no experiment unless specifically stated.

[@gregorsamsa1364]

@@brunospasta Seems like a strange expectation. Chef's are constantly putting their own spins on traditional dishes. Often much more dramatically than this. It isn't uncommon to see them do all sorts of drastically reimaginations of traditional dishes- deconstructions, reconstructions, molecular gastronomizations and whatnot

[@kikkinbuttz]

So funny, great job breaking it down. I have about 35 years in kitchens and pastry....and your reviews are spot on. thanks.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you!

[@poppythecat454]

Thank you for another video. They are so interesting as you always go into details about origins and how to use.

[@alexandergrey5913]

Love your reviews! This is one dish I talked my way into a little back street eatery kitchen in Denia on a Sunday to learn. After in the afternoon a lot of wine & brandy was drunk! 👍

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you very much!

[@Hastur_the_Great]

Now I at least know I shouldn't put chorizo in my paella, but I can't help it, grilled cured chorizo tastes amazing :x Edit: The fact that the "pro" chef managed to burnt his very own dish and has the balls to stare dead eye in the camera to state that it looks perfect . . . *bruh*

[@sarkion]

If you like the chorizo flavour you can give a shot to a dish called "arroz a la campesina". It's a spanish rice dish with chorizo, peppers, onion and paprika (you can find variations with other ingredients but those are the main ones for me). It comes together faster than a paella and you get that chorizo flavour the be the star of the show

[@Rildinor]

@@sarkion Patatas a la Riojana is something you should try too!

[@SondreGrneng]

Imma be real here. If you like Chorizo in your paella. put chorizo in your paella. If that offends a Spaniard, that's just extra seasoning. If you are making a cooking show however, either don't use it, or make it very clear that it's not traditional and you just put it there because you like it.

[@Rildinor]

@@SondreGrneng just call it something else, its like call fish and chips a dish when you fry lamb and no fish

[@k.v.7681]

My mother in law uses it in her version (but raw, not cured). Her husband (the actual spaniard) was raised on a pig farm where they produced it and his mother (where the recipe comes from) added it everywhere. People will harp on about tradition, but the reality is, you don't have set kinds of meats in most poor man's recipes. You use what you have on hand. Like the sea food debate. You better believe that if a dude caught a couple mussels along his fish in the catch of the day, he would have thrown them in.

[@KareiTV]

Your face when you said "NO CAYENNE" 🤣 Thanks for the in depth reviews while still staying professional!

[@Sniperboy5551]

Your voice is so soothing. I love watching these videos before bed. Although the food makes me hungry, your voice lulls me to sleep… that’s a compliment btw!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

😊 thank you

[@lambrospappas578]

Great video! I'm no expert on paella, but I I do my own version of paella and have been complimented by people who've been to Spain or who are Spanish themselves. I stick to the traditional flavours, but with my own methods and some minor adjustments. No chorizo or sausage obviously, but adjustments based on ingredients that I can find anytime and anywhere, as opposed to them needing to be seasonal or having to go to a specialty store. For example Fava beans are not an option here unless they’re in season, so I end up using peeled Edamame beans (cause that's what they always have at my local grocers). I’ve also grown my own red peppers and I’ve cold smoked them over oak and dehydrated them to have my own pimenton. I can never find Bomba rice, so I use Arborio. As for the saffron I always soak it in the stock that I have put to the side before incorporating it into the dish so as to maximize the flavour and colour it brings. The saffron I usually get is from Greece as well, as I have hookups for it there, and I lightly toast it before using it in any Spanish recipes. Same with my EVOO, it’s always from Greece as I know people who can hook it up here. I don’t have a paella pan, but what I do use is a roasting pan that I can start on the stovetop and then continue cooking covered in the oven, and then I finish it off again either on the very bottom of the oven or stovetop to get at least some of the rice to crisp up on the bottom.

[@sethgaston845]

It was nice to see you get a little frustrated, James! I was starting to think you were a Buddhist monk, as calm as you are! 😂 Seems none of them really even came close to producing a passable dish! If I ever make it, I know whose video I'm watching!

[@damonboes2873]

So, it's just something I wondered since I only recently got invested in your channel and I wondered if you ever reacted to German food or made a video about it yourself. A lot of very accurate knowledge all the way through. Great work!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I have a Kartoffelpuffer video but not much else as people don't seem to like that content but I can try reviewing one

[@mitchellwilliam95]

The editing, presentation and commentary in your videos is perfect. You've got my sub for sure! I'm gonna keep binge-watching your channel - lol.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much!!

[@haydenarias]

The lady seemed to be confusing Mexican cuisine with Spanish... As a Mexican-american I love both gastronomic origins but I respect both and what they have to offer without needing to fuse flavors that each culture has developed through their individual histories.

[@Maplecook]

You are kicking ASS, BRO!!! So proud of you!!!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you buddy!! ;) it would be fun to see you do one as well!

[@Maplecook]

@@ChefJamesMakinson You know...I've had too much sake tonight, so take it with a grain of sal...but you are SERIOUSLY tempting me to make a paella video (even though I said I wasn't going to). I mean, after having made panettone, what could be scary, right? hahahahaha

[@AlmightyAphrodite]

A recent short brought me here 😅 I love all your tips and tricks on how to actually make a authentic paella! 🙏 I've never really made it, but you make me want to go and try... Perhaps I should visit Spain first and try the real deal there 😁😁

[@anirudhsubrahmanyam3437]

Hey James, really love your detailed explanation of every video. Shall be glad if I could see a paella video from you and how to do it right. Much thanks.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I have 3 already!

[@anirudhsubrahmanyam3437]

@@ChefJamesMakinson just checked. Thank you for the content. Look forward to more videos from your side.

[@icebice]

It's like sushi in western countries. They add different mayonnaises or sauces and decorate the sushi with some weird stuff and it's accepted by the customers. For me it's ruining the very purpose of sushi (which is the rice btw, not the fish) - it is to get as much flavor from the fish out of respect for the fish (edit: if it's fish and not some meat or whatever). Japan is all about honoring, even fish.

[@CookingWithNeighbors]

Hi James. Hope you are well wow you make things educational and fun. Great point about cured chorizo. Lol on cutting the onion your first time seeing that I giggled. Oh I will make sure then that I use red peppers. Lol I go to flip a pan I know it would not go well lol. oh man that is a burnt pan. Oh yikes. Lots of great tips James. Haha slightly burnt smell. Oh gosh. This was a very enjoyable video once again.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much!! this one was hard to make but fun! I hope you are well!

[@hpholland]

Thanks chef I really like your reviews, your style is very honest, direct, and fact based. The best kind!

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I appreciate that!

[@alexandersalazar9122]

More cooking videos please! I love how to tell and show us how it’s done in the professional manner

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

With time will make more!

[@EhtesamUddinPrince]

Remember me when your famous. This is a rising star folks now I can glady say "been here since 6k subs"

[@ThePariahDark]

I really like those insights into spanish cuisine and how things work over there. Such a breath of fresh air to hear how it actually is vs what the internet says how it is. As for the dishes, I'd take the one from the LVL2 chef. Perhaps I am biased, I am a LVL2 myself, but I don't like burned and I am not big on mussels.

[@teneathyn799]

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing this video. Muchas gracias chef!

[@tonydeltablues]

Holy shit, It never fails to surprise me how misunderstood this dish really is! I've had a paella journey that goes back over 18 years. I made a paella pilgrimage to Valencia 4 years ago and got to look in a restaurant kitchen on a Sunday as paella was being cooked. Sure a heck didn't look like any here! I'm sure they were pleased with the taste of their rice dishes, heck, I'm happy for them - but it ain't what they say it is. Tony

[@gregorsamsa1364]

Paella pilgrimage? White people trip me out sometimes- lol

[@tonydeltablues]

@@gregorsamsa1364 Do they

[@lggamerzgen4762]

22:13-22:17. Words of wisdom in cooking. He's right!

[@kirst4666]

That was fascinating. Very interesting comments on how to make a paella. Going to watch your “how to” video now

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thanks so much!

[@billiericks3293]

Thank you for this interesting take. I have lived in Spain 8 mos now and haven't tried to make it because I only have a small glass stovetop (and oven) and finding a pan is hard and...for 18 months more of use until I leave...it needs to be reasonably priced. Unfortunately many of the paella's I have ordered have been too salty. This was a great informative video. Loved your comments and explanations.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you so much!

[@christophermarksomosot736]

They all cook by own taste and perspective not by the book. There's no any problem by that but please respect the history behind the dish as the dish is well known as the Spanish poor man's dish

[@jarlsigurdstorvann9885]

nicely done! i loved the way you implemented the changes to your videos. you review the content, and then you in a very nice and easy way edit in the work of how that dish is supose to be made traditionally. and you did it in such a way that your average homecook could do it himself with some practise! i for one look forward to more of your content :3

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much!

[@kobaltsevera9295]

I am really enjoying your insightfulness.

[@kilmcm45]

I know the pronunciation from a Simpsons episode where Bart is at a soccer game.....the vendor long-bomb tosses the dish into Bart's waiting hands from the base of the stands.

[@txikitofandango]

A lot of the sadness I felt by watching the video was mitigated by the great variety of shots of the real thing

[@marybaksheeva2874]

Thanks, that was so interesting to watch! I'm curious though, what type of rice fitting for the dish can I find in Japan. Maybe it's all in the cooking method though... Will rewatch! Thank you 😊

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

I can get bomba rice on amazon. However, if you cant at least try to get another similar short grain one. you can use Arborio as well! here is a good article if you would like to read a bit more! blog.amigofoods.com/index.php/spanish-foods/best-rice-for-paella-and-how-to-prepare-it/

[@marybaksheeva2874]

@@ChefJamesMakinson reading it, thanks!!

[@senorpapasfritasconqueso]

My favorite part was the charcoal on Frank's pan. It looked really beautiful how it colored the dish black in a few spots. Would be delicious with a nice beverage of gasoline. Yum.

[@mimoleta]

Extra virgin olive oil has always been around 4€ to 8€ a liter in France. It's quite expensive and considering I use so much I'm glad I stocked up on my way back from Tunisia.

[@justinlawner7090]

That shade "this isnt french cooking" got me laughing hard xD

[@stephenhayden2586]

I dont think any of these so called chefs have ever been to Spain only the guy doing the judging

[@fletimadias3863]

Yet another amazing video! So spot on with your observation and tips in the most gentle manner, if i were you id b losing it 😂😂

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

thank you!

[@lperkins2]

Of all the YT chefs, your feedback I have found the most useful. Made rissoto for the first time today, it was passable, but the rice was slightly underdone. The stock wasn't warm enough, which is obvious in hindsight, so the 20 minute cooking time should have been extended.

[@Shiniii]

as a catalan guy I might say fuet is delicious everyone should try it sometime!

[@Yoroiful]

It was a joy to watch you critique the dishes respectfully. I'm not a fan of gatekeeping when it comes to food and recipes, but it's fair to point out what goes into the original recipe.

[@Caracaraorangeberry]

i just found your channel yesterday- wow this is good stuff. love it! subbed and liked

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Awesome, thank you!

[@scrapeape]

I’m so relieved to see that I’ve only ever had really bad paella and I have something to look forward to

[@rubenstroy8119]

Hi, spaniard here, I can give some tips for making paella since both my father and uncle are professional cookers. 1 - Don't add spicy food. You may confuse spanish food with mexican food but I assure you they're not the same. 2 - Here in spain sometimes instead of sweet paprika people often use safran, it gives a lot of color and flavour to the dish. 3 - Traditionally, paella was a dish for farmers to do in the middle of their day, so they usually made it with firewood. Nowadays is more complicated to do it that way, but if you want a very similar flavour, just take one sprig of rosemary and put it at the top of your paella, then wait for it to get cooked and then burn it. That way the burnt rosemary resembles to that traditional firewood. Be careful when doing this since it's dangerous to play with fire, and you could harm yourself. Also it is very easy to overburn it or to let big ashes get into the paella and ruin part of its flavour. I hope you learnt something and thank you!

[@pagp97]

Acabo de descubrir un canal MUY CHULO. Quiero decir, cómo explicas en 19:45 una paella en 40 segundos es brutal

[@leech976]

I love that every time something urks you or is wrong you give the camera the disgruntled side-eye a couple times 😂

[@beatonthedonis]

The key elements of a paella are the rice (because you cook in an open flat pan, you need rice that will cook evenly), the stock, saffron, and the crust formed by not stirring. Other ingredients are what taste good to you.

[@andrenewell3097]

Wow the increase in the price of olive olive is quite shocking.

[@TeddyAura]

The recipe I follow is made by a Spanish chef Omar Allibhoy which you could find in KZbin. Surprisingly, this guy used to work for Jamie Oliver

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Yes I know of him. he knows what he is talking about. He used to work at El Bulli which used to be one of the best restaurants in the world. He does a good job!

[@markantony12]

Your channel is gonna go huge buddy, you have a really strong foundation in what you offer

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you very much! :)

[@dsr0116]

My mom has a good recipe for jambalaya, which I equate as the Americanized version of paella (seems true for these chefs using sausage). Most the paella I've had at restaurants are the seafood variety, and since you mention it, they aren't as spicy hot as the jambalaya I like. Looks like I can use my All-clad skillet as a paella pan: I'll be trying your paella Valenciana!

[@edim108]

Watching this made me live in Spain without the S... I honestly got depression from it I swear to God. The fact that the one with chorizo is the best out of the three really says it all. Why are the "pro" versions always the worst in these vids? I admire your restraint. It takes a true professional not to go off like a live hand grenade when seeing stuff like this...

[@bobd2659]

"If it's got that slightly burnt smell...it's burnt!" Harsh...but true (except for BBQ...generally...because it burns elsewhere) This was a harsh one...but fair. I'm not a chef, and CERTAINLY not a traditionalist when it comes to cooking, but honestly, I'd take the level 1 chef over the pro on this one. I stray from the box all the time, but try to keep the essence of a traditional dish there, but there are always limitations on home cooks for availability and dietary needs. Chorizo is awesome, on its own. It loses everything in a dish like this. Just make it an appetizer - pixto, tapas, charcuterie...lots of uses to display it properly!

[@amycupcake6832]

Here in spain a common basic dish is pasta con chorizo, basically a tomato, onion sauce and then you add in chunked chorizo, my family likes to use the really hard stuff so the chorizo maintains it’s rigidity

[@ChezJ1]

@@amycupcake6832 is Spanish chorizo the hard one, the one you can grill on a bbq and eat like a hot dog on a bun? I love those but can never find them where I live in California. 😒

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

@@ChezJ1 Spanish chorizo is cured but here we can also buy it raw, we have multiple types in Spain but the normal one that you probably find this just cured one.

[@ChezJ1]

@@ChefJamesMakinson thank you Chef.

[@amycupcake6832]

@@ChezJ1 spanish chorizo has many styles, but the hard one I'm talking about is not the eat like a hotdog one, much harder than a frankfurter, closer to jerky

[@BlackHe4rtQueen]

I really like the restaurant-style assembly, that James showed, a lot. It makes a ton of sense; I guess the biggest advantage is the shorter time to get the paella on the customer's table, but for me as an amateur, it helped me to "cluster" the prep processes, so that the paella prep looks pretty simple this way, and nowhere near as chaotic and complex as the other chefs managed to make it look.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

It can be made simple it doesn't have to be complicated and there are ways of making a simple version of what we make in the restaurant at home

[@kevincrosby1760]

There is a fancy term for it, but there is no substitute for getting your prep done before you ever start cooking the dish. I generally have everything prepped and out on the counter in separate bowls before I ever start cooking. It's nice to be able to do the prep, clean up a bit, and have clean counters to work with. To REALLY understand how handy this can be, borrow or rent a small RV and attempt to prepare a full dinner for 4 in a kitchen 5 feet long with a stove that will almost hold 2 saucepans and a skillet...and you have a CHOICE between a sink or a counter, since most of your counter space is the butcherblock sink cover/cutting board/ counter area. To make matters worse, what little non-sink counter space you do have is on hinges, and needs to be cleared and lowered to get at the main door for the RV. I no longer live in an RV, but old habits die hard. I'm quite happy to now be able to roll out a pie crust without needing to flour the dining table...

[@MattMcQueen1]

Great video. I holiday in Spain and have eaten paella de arroz negro in Valencia - absolutely delicious. Also love other types of paella, with chicken, rabbit and snails (paella Valencia?). I've never seen chorizo in paella, but I've only ever eaten paella in Spain.

[@ChefJamesMakinson]

Thank you!

[@amycupcake6832]

My first paella was a paella negro, big mistake, spent years thinking I hated paella cause tinta de sepia makes me nauseous