how to make paella with FLAVOR?

Question

i have tried making paella a few times but it always turnes out bland. i put enough saffron, to the point of almost being too much so i know its not that. I also only used chicken and frozen shrimp. kind of nervous eating clams and oysters. is that why it has no flavor? did i use too much rice? does anyone have a good recipe?

Answer 1

It's your seasoning. Rice is very bland, so it needs a lot of salt, pepper and whatever else you're using to season the dish.

Answer 2

The Real Paella Recipe

Ingredients for 4 persons

1 medium chicken (you can use chicken breasts)
1 medium rabbit (you can use pork loin)
2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
165 grs. wide green bean ( spanish-bachoqueta)
130 grs. large white lima beans ( spanish-garrafon)
1 level teaspoon of saffron
3 cups of spanish rice
8 cups of hot water or ( even better chicken broth)
olive oil ( enough to cover the bottom of the paella pan)
salt ( to taste)
1 level teaspoon of sweet red paprika
First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the rabbit and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry unitl lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat. While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.

Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt. After 20 minutes we add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The fire should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook. Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the fire gets to all patrs equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished. Take the paella off the fire and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.

For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle. Now you are ready to dig into your paella with wooden spoons and eat directly from the paela pans!

In other regions and even in some of the best recipes, you will that peas and peppers are added. These are not authentic ingredients for a true Valencian paella recipe. Happy paella eating!

Answer 3

You have to check out lamesafoods.com. They have the best paella-making stuff. Saffron does not add intense flavor. It's more for color. You probably need to use some good Spanish olive oil, garlic, Spanish seasoning packets (available at La Mesa Foods), etc. I bought a paella kit from them once and it was fantastic.

Answer 4

How to make Paella

Paella is a one of the world's most famous rice dishes, and this version is a seafood extravaganza. Traditionally, paella is prepared in a paellera (a wide, shallow pan with looped handles) and cooked over an outdoor fire. However, it's easy to cook paella to authentic perfection in your own kitchen over the stovetop. The following paella recipe serves 4, and for best results cook in a 14 or 15-inch paellera. A large shallow frying pan makes an acceptable substitute.



Chop the vegetables



Finely chop 1 red onion, dice 1 red and 1 green pepper (capsicum), finely chop 4 cloves of garlic, and finely chop 2 tablespoons of fresh flat-leaf parsley.

Puree the tomatoes

Using a box grater, puree 2 ripe tomatoes (vine-ripened are best), discarding the skin. Alternatively you can use a cup of canned peeled tomatoes mashed with a fork.


Prepare the seafood

Peel and devein 16 large raw shrimp (prawns), cut 2 squid tubes into rings, and scrub and debeard 12 fresh mussels. Cover and refrigerate.

Make the sofrito

Sofrito is a Spanish tomato and onion sauce which is used as a flavor base for a variety of dishes, including paella. To make the sofrito, heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium heat and cook the chopped red onion, 2 tablespoons of parsley and 3 of the chopped garlic cloves for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the pureed tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of paprika (preferably Spanish smoked paprika) and cook until all the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the sofrito has the consistency of jam. Transfer the sofrito to a small bowl and wipe clean the paella pan.


Cook the mussels

While the sofrito is cooking, place the mussels in a saucepan with half a cup of simmering water. Cover and steam on a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove mussels and set aside, discarding any that haven't opened.

Cook the shrimp and squid

Heat 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium-high heat. Add the remaining clove of chopped garlic and the shrimp and cook for 1½ minutes, tossing continuously. Add the squid rings and cook for a further 1½ minutes. Remove the shrimp and squid from the paella pan and lightly season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and set aside.


Cook the diced red and green peppers



Heat 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in the paella pan over a medium heat and cook the diced red and green peppers for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the rice

Add the sofrito back to the pan along with 1½ cups of Spanish Calasparra or Bomba rice (regular medium-grain rice makes a good substitute) and cook for a minute, stirring to coat the grains.


Add hot stock, saffron, salt and pepper and cook without stirring

Add 3 cups of heated fish or chicken stock, a pinch of saffron threads, 1½ teaspoons sea salt and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine, and bring to a rolling simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered without stirring. (To make sure the rice cooks evenly you will need to regularly move the paella pan around the heat source, or you can stradle the paella pan over two burners.)

Lower the heat and continue cooking

Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for a further 15 minutes without stirring. After 15 minutes, turn the heat up to medium-high for a minute or so until you can smell the rice toasting at the bottom, then remove the paella pan from the heat. (The toasted rice bottom of a paella is called socorrat and is highly prized.)


Add seafood and peas and cover

Push the reserved shrimp, mussels and squid into the cooked rice, and scatter with half a cup of defrosted green peas. Cover the pan with foil or a clean cloth, and let the paella rest for 5 minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges

Present the paella in the pan at the table with lemon wedges on the side for drizzling.

Answer 5

If you don't want to use clams, you could add some clam juice to your cooking liquid when you make the rice.

Answer 6

Easy Paella

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and black pepper to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
1 pinch saffron threads
1 bay leaf
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 quart chicken stock
2 lemons, zested

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 pound chorizo sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
DIRECTIONS
In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

Authentic Paella Valenciana

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 (4 pound) whole chicken, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 (2 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can butter beans
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
1/2 (10 ounce) package frozen green beans
salt to taste
1 teaspoon mild paprika, or to taste
1 pinch saffron threads
dried thyme to taste (optional)
dried rosemary to taste (optional)
4 cups uncooked white rice, or as needed
DIRECTIONS
Heat a paella pan over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil. Add the chicken, rabbit and garlic; cook and stir until nicely browned. Move the browned meat to the sides of the pan, and add the tomato, butter beans, peas, and green beans. Season with paprika, and mix well.
Fill the paella pan almost to the top with water, measuring the water as you put it in. This is to help you to determine how much rice to add, as paella pans come in different sizes. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1 hour to make a nice broth.
Season with a generous amount of salt, and just enough saffron to make a nice yellow color. Season with thyme and rosemary if desired. The goal is to make a rich tasting broth that will soak into the rice to make it delicious. Stir in half as much rice as the amount of water in the pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Serves 8

Paella

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
4 ounces chorize sausage, cut into pieces
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 (12 ounce) package uncooked Arborio rice
5 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 pinch saffron
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 squid, cleaned and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup frozen green peas
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded
1/4 cup chopped Italian flat leaf parsley
8 slices lemon, for garnish
DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in paella pan over medium heat. Add in onion, garlic and pepper; cook and stir for a few minutes. Add chorizo sausage, diced chicken, and rice; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 3 1/2 cups stock, wine, thyme leaves, and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 15 minutes; stir occasionally.
Taste the rice, and check to see if it is cooked. If the rice is uncooked, stir in 1/2 cup more stock. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally. Stir in additional stock if necessary, up to 2 cups additional stock, 5 cups total. Cook until rice is done.
Stir in squid, tomatoes, and peas. Cook for 2 minutes. Arrange prawns and mussels on top. Cover with foil, and leave for 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove the foil, and scatter parsley over the food. Serve in paella pan, garnished with lemon wedges.

Serves 8