Paella is a perfect dish for spring and summer, when the weather warms up and you want to throw a party or a picnic outdoors for a big crowd.
Paella maestro Gerard Nebesky likes to keep his paella parties simple but satisfying, offering a few tapas ahead of time to whet appetites, a simple green salad and bread as side dishes, and a Spanish cheese course for dessert.
Here are some of his methods for keeping the party flowing while preparing the labor-intensive dish, which requires a minimum of two hours from start to finish.
F While he?s prepping his paella ingredients, Nebesky cuts some extra red pepper. That way, he can serve some of the saut?d red pepper as an appetizer, while putting aside the rest for the garnish on the paella. ?It?s a really neat appetizer, really simple, but really tasty,? he says. ?They can be served by themselves or on bread.?
F After he gets the sofrito flavor base cooking on the burner, he saut?s whole shrimp and heads of garlic in olive oil and kosher salt in a separate pan to serve as tapas. (You can find whole shrimp at Asian markets or order them from a seafood counter.) Be prepared: these browned, garlicky shrimp are so delicious that even civilized guests will be fighting over them after one bite. ?Everybody is completely crazy about the shrimp,? he says. ?It doesn?t matter what they?re wearing, they all dig in with their elbows out.?
F For the paella itself, Nebesky owns more than a dozen paella pans in all sizes, from 10 inches to 11 feet wide. You can buy paella pans from Cost Plus and Sur La Table or The Spanish Table in Berkeley. It?s important to have a steady source of heat, sheltered from wind if you?re outside. Nebesky either cooks over a grapevine fire ? that?s the authentic way ? or uses a propane burner, also available at The Spanish Table. You could also cook paella on your grill or stovetop.
F Before cooking, Nebesky puts a dollop of oil in the middle of the paella pan, to make sure the pan is level. Then he turns the heat on medium-high to heat up the pan.
F For his signature Paella Mixta, Nebesky coats the pan with olive oil, lets it get hot, then roasts whole heads of garlic with red peppers. He removes the red peppers and sets them aside, then sears the chicken pieces. Next, he adds the chopped onions and canned or fresh tomatoes to the garlic and chicken and reduces it down until it?s thick. Then he adds the chicken stock, either homemade or canned, and lets the stock reduce down for about a half-hour. (This is a good time to prepare the shrimp tapas). Once the sofrito is reduced, he adds crushed saffron and smoked paprika to the stock.
F Next comes the all-important ingredient: rice. The Bomba, a short-grain rice from Valencia, is the official paella rice, but it?s sometimes hard to find. In a pinch, he substitutes another short-grain rice, such as arborio or sushi rice. Once the rice is added to the pan, he lets the dish simmer for about 20 minutes. After the rice goes into the pan, he never, ever stirs it. This is the secret to a perfect paella, with a delicious, black socarrat crust on the bottom.
F During the final 10 minutes of cooking, Nebesky tosses in the fish and any shellfish he wants to add. Then, at the very end, he squeezes lemon juice into the pan and arranges lemon quarters on top, along with the reserved slices of red pepper. He knows the paella is done when the liquid stock disappears and the rice begins to burn slightly on the bottom of the pan.
F Once you learn the process of making paella, you can improvise as much as you want with seasonal ingredients. In the spring, for example, you can use asparagus and baby artichokes instead of green beans and garbanzos.
F If your paella pan is small, place it on the table and dish it out from there. Nebesky serves his paella with a sweet French bread ? never sourdough ? and a green salad topped with piquillo peppers from Spain.
F Keep plenty of napkins on hand. Between the shrimp and the whole heads of garlic, people will be getting messy with this meal. Also, make sure there?s enough paella for seconds. Guests are usually hungry by the time this dish is finally ready.
F For dessert, serve a variety of Spanish cheeses, such as Manchego with quince paste; Cabrales, a robust blue cheese; and Idiazabal, a smoky cheese made in the Basque region from sheep?s milk. Add a seasonal fruit, such as apricots or figs.
F Serve paella with a Rioja from Spain or a Sangiovese from Italy. You could also try the Clos du Bois Tempranillo or the De La Montanya Tempranillo. With the cheeses, do a comparative tasting of Spanish Lustau Sherries.
F There?s a lot of standing around when you cook paella. Pour some wine, let the conversation flow and let people?s appetites grow along with the aroma of garlic and olive oil. Anticipation is a key ingredient to a successful paella party.
For more tips on paella, go to www.gerardspaella.com.
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