We all have that one dish which we wish we could make perfectly. Mine is Paella, and my wish is to know how to make the perfect Paella dish. I have been to restaurants in different countries, and it seemed they all had their own way of making this traditional Spanish dish. My wish came true when a true Paella master came to the rescue. His name is Ruben Guerrero, and he is a Paella master chef at El Sur Dubai (a Spanish restaurant located in the Westin Mina Seyahi). He shared tips on how to cook the perfect Paella dish.

So, if perfectly cooked rice, full of Spanish flavor and packed with fresh authentic ingredients isn’t on your radar, then it soon will be. And you will have the perfect Paella expertly crafted and made by you. And if you can’t hack it, you can always find your way to El Sur and enjoy their new perfect Paella menu, courtesy of Chef Guerrero.

History of Paella

Valencia in Eastern Spain lays claim to the first Paella dish and to this day, maintains its age-old recipe. As one of the largest natural ports in the Mediterranean, Valencia has been one of the most important rice-producing areas in Spain since the grain was introduced by the Moors more than 1200 years ago.

It has been said by some that the word paella originates from the Arabic word “baqiyah” meaning leftovers. And during the centuries following the establishment of rice in Spain, the peasants of Valencia would use the paella pan to cook rice. They would do this with easily available ingredients from the countryside like tomatoes, snails, and onions.

On special occasions, rabbit or duck might have been included, and those who were better-off could also afford chicken. Little by little, this ‘Valencian rice’ became more widely known, and by the end of the nineteenth century ‘Paella Valenciana’ had established itself.

Chef Guerrero’s Top Tips on how to Achieve the Perfect Paella Dish

Make the dish with love. Paella requires attention and time (3 or four hours per Paella) and this will shine through in the final product.
Use Bomba rice (short grain type), good quality chicken, and homemade stock made from the other ingredients. Each Paella dish has an individual stock made from frying the meat and vegetables together and adding water. This will give it a greater depth of flavor.
Stirring is absolutely forbidden. This is because you are aiming for a tender, not creamy result. And the perfect Paella calls for a dry consistency.
The Paella should be slightly burnt at the bottom for an authentic flavor. That crispy layer that forms, the ‘socarrat’, is a highly prized delicacy.
Invest in a good Paella pan or skillet. It should be wide, round, shallow, and with splayed sides. The key is to maximize the amount of rice touching the bottom of the pan which is where all the flavor lives and will also allow for the right distribution of heat.