17 Secrets To a Great Paella

Paella is a dish that has it all - almost literally. A one dish meal that can feed 2 or 200 and has room for anybody's favorite ingredients, even a bad paella is better than a lot of other things you could be eating. Fortunately, making a great paella is pretty easy. And while these touches may not be mentioned in any particular recipe, they will always make your paella better.

1. Use the right rice. Good Valencia or Calasparra rice is the only kind you should use in your paella. Bomba rice is the best. More common rice varieties like Jasmine or conventional long grain don't absorb liquid as well. Using Arborio rice results in mushy paella.
2. Use a real paella pan. If you don't have one, you should get one. They are not very expensive and the difference they make is well worth it. Paella pans are designed to maximize the amount of rice touching the bottom of the pan, which is where all the flavor is. They also allow you to move the food from hotter to cooler areas as needed during the cooking process.
3. Try to use a heat source that can accommodate the entire pan. Depending on the size of your stove and the size of your paella pan, you may have to straddle two burners. You can also use an open fire, or an outdoor paella burner.

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