Paella
Picture this: the sun is shining, you're hosting friends for food and drinks—what’s the perfect dish? Many would say a classic BBQ with burgers, hot dogs, and beers. But may I suggest something a little different? Paella and Sangria!
Plan Ahead for Stress-Free Hosting
To make things easy, I highly recommend doing as much prep work as possible before your guests arrive. This includes:
- Dicing your sofrito (onions, garlic, and tomatoes)
- Preparing your stock in advance
- Pre-cooking your seafood so it just needs a quick warm-through in the paella
Once your guests arrive, you can cook the paella while still socializing, sipping Sangria, and maybe serving some bread and olives as appetizers. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser and easy to scale up or down!
Cooking Equipment: What You Need
Traditionally, paella is made in a paella pan over a gas burner or open flame (as seen below). However, you can also use:
- 🔥 A large frying pan on an outdoor camping stove
- 🔥 A stovetop indoors, then serve it outside when guests arrive
Remember
📝 Once the stock is added, do not stir the paella! Unlike risotto, paella relies on the rice cooking undisturbed to develop that delicious socarrat (crispy bottom layer). This makes it an easy, hands-off dish to cook while entertaining.
