Up Your Summer Grill Game With The Perfect Paella From A Local Chef

By Anthony Todd in Food on Jul 12, 2017 2:41PM

Photo courtesy of Salero.

It's July, which means some of the novelty of grilling might finally be wearing off. Tired of hamburgers and hot dogs? It's time to get adventurous. While one way might be branching off to different proteins (like some delicious salmon, perhaps?), the way to really up your grilling game is to venture into the world of paella.

Intimidated? Think that this awesome Spanish pseudo-casserole requires special equipment, experience or a fancy grill? We've got the tips, the tools and the recipe to make it easy, thanks to Chef Ashlee Aubin of Salero, a champion paella maker. Your next grill party will be the talk of the town.

Before we get to the recipe and the tips, let's talk a little about paella, for the uninitiated. It's basically a savory rice dish, cooked with broth and a variety of proteins, usually including some kind of shellfish. The signature ingredient (and the thing that turns it yellow) is saffron, the ultra-expensive spice with the funky flavor. The best part about paella, at least for an American grill party, is that while it's delicious and unique, it's not threatening—just about any audience will eat and enjoy it.

There's kind of a cult around paella. There are whole paella cookbooks, an entire universe of fancy paella pans, standalone paella grills, and a ton of other toys. These are fun, but as Chef Aubin tells us, they're not really necessary. So just how do you make the perfect paella?

1. Don't worry about your grill. "We just use a regular Weber grill with Kingsford charcoal," says Aubin. "I think the fancy equipment is a complete waste. You should be able to do this for under $20 in equipment." The only rule is to maintain an even heat, so create a nice flat bed of coals.

2. Do worry (a little) about your pan. If you just throw a regular pot on the grill, it won't make good paella. Do a little browsing for a paella-specific pan; they're usually round and with handles on the sides. What's special about a paella pan? "The bottom of a paella pan is thin—you’re looking for the dish to crisp, and almost burn, at the bottom," says Aubin. That's one of the things that makes really good paella—that crisp, almost burned savory rice—and if you use a thick-bottomed pan, it's just not gonna happen.

3. It's all about the rice. Paella is fundamentally a rice dish, and if you use random junk from your pantry, it's not going to be very good. "Use short grained Spanish rice, such as Bomba or Calasparra rice," instructs Aubin. "It soaks up all the flavor while staying nice and firm." In a pinch, you can use Arborio rice.

4. It's also all about the broth. You're cooking rice, and if you cook it in water, you're adding no flavor. But, at the same time, there's no perfect formula; just pack in some taste! "All the flavor comes from the broth," says Aubin. "Start with saffron and pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika), add some white wine, bacon scraps, shrimp shells, tomato, onion... whatever you've got!" Even if all you have is store bought chicken broth, at least throw in some extra ingredients.

5. Use whatever proteins you want (or have in the freezer). There's no rules. Great paella can be made with anything from clams to rabbit. "You can combine all different flavors and textures to keep in interesting," Aubin says. The only thing that matters is the order. If you're cooking shrimp and chicken, throw the chicken in first to make sure it's going to be almost done when you put in the fast-cooking shrimp.

6. Embrace the char. This can be hard for a conscientious home cook, since we're all trained to freak out when things start burning. "The absolute best part of the paella is the crispy-toasty rice that you scrape off the bottom of the pan," insists Aubin. "Don't stir too much, and leave it on one minute longer than you think you should." If you need to check to see if it's done, just push a little of the top rice to the side and see the bottom— you’re looking for a dark brown, not black. You can also tell by smell: "When you’re making toast, the smell of toast is nice, but you know when it hits the burning point. Same thing with paella."

With a few tips, some decent rice, some flavorful broth and whatever protein you have around the house, you just turned a party from ho-hum into amazing. Next time you host a party, use the recipe below and wow your guests.

Paella Recipe
Courtesy of Ashlee Aubin

1 quart of stock
1 cup bomba rice
1/4 cup sofrito
1 pinch saffron
8 ounces chicken (cut into bite size pieces
2 ounces Spanish chorizo (or spicy salami)
8 ounces shrimp
1 pound mussels or clams
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup piquillo peppers
lemon juice
olive oil
salt

Using a charcoal grill (or your regular stove), heat an 11-inch paella pan over medium high heat. Add a generous glug of olive oil and wait till it almost starts to smoke. Add the chicken (or any other long cooking proteins) and brown on all sides.

Add rice and sofrito, and allow it to toast in the olive oil for one minute. Add half the paella stock, the chorizo, a big pinch of salt and the saffron. Let cook on medium high heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir just occasionally, scraping any bits that stick to the bottom.

Add half of the remaining paella stock. Taste the rice occasionally. When the rice tastes almost cooked, add shrimp, clams, mussels, peas, piquillo peppers and a little more stock.

Cover with aluminum foil (or a second paella pan) until all the shellfish is cooked and open. Finish on medium heat until all the stock is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. Then leave it on the heat for another minute. You want the rice on the bottom to stick and caramelize (but not burn!). Let rest for a minute. Squeeze lemon juice on top. Enjoy straight out of the pan.