Rice with Cod and Cauliflower

About the term "paella"

Paella is the name of the cooking pan to cook the famous "paella valenciana" also known as "paella". In most places (worldwide) the name paella is misused to refer to any combination of rice "with whatever". This is a distorsion of the original recipe (I promise to publish it soon). So if anybody is using creative ingredients, the proper term is "a rice with x and y and..." or "rice in a paella", but please don't call it "paella"!

<<My paella is not the traditional one because I use an induction cook, so I had to adapt>>

Ingredients (for 4 people)

400 gr. rice
400 gr. cauliflower
300 gr. desalted cod (or 250 gr desalted cod + 50 gr. dried salted cod)
2 ripe tomatoes
1 little onion
2 garlic cloves
1 full teaspoon sweet paprika (spanish and "de la vera", of course
2 strands of saffron
Olive oil
Salt

About rice:

Usually for these dry recipes, the best is use a round grain rice of the varieties "albufera", "senia", grown in Valencia. These varieties are the best to absorb the broth and hence the flavours. The problem is that if you overcook them, the grains can break and then a disaster happens, the rice starch and the broth escapes, leaving the grain without flavour and an unpleasant pasty texture.

Another variety, "bomba", is more tolerant with overcooking, but it doesn't absorb the flavours as the formers.. This variety is perfect for wet rice recipes. I've tried an alternative the variety "brazal" also known as "maratelli" is as tolerant as "bomba" but keeps the flavours wonderfuly.

Ok. Outside Spain perhaps you can't find these varieties, so, avoid the long grain rices, used in asian recipes, look for round grain rices -or medium- and try. If the result is not good, a last resource is using round grain parboiled rice, it is very tolerant, the flavour changes a little bit, but the result will be much better. If you find rice labelled as "paella rice" and is not from Spain, check at least that the content is round grain!

To end with this point, it's important that you take care of the cooking time recommended for each variety and brand of rice. Use the watch or a timer!

Method

Heat the oil in the "paella" -or use a VERY large pan. I normally pour olive oil until it covers at least 2/3 of the surface. Without letting it burn, with medium-high heat and add the cauliflower cut in little trees and salt it slightly. When they start to get brown (6,7 mins) in the center fry the tomato , grated without skin or seeds and the finely chopped onion. Add a pinch of salt (not too much).

Fry patiently until the tomate has a brown colour. If the tomato is not perfectly done, neither the colour nor the flavour will be the same. 5 mis before the tomato is done, put the grated garlic and mix it with the tomato. Put also the salted cod and finally when the tomato is done, put the sweet paprika and the saffron over the tomato (if you fail to do so, the paprika will roast and add a bitter flavour). Put the cod, mix everything and it's time to pour the water. In the picture you can see the colour (and you'll be able to smell it also)

The amount of water... It's essential to control the amount of water so that it'll be absorbed by the ingredients and evaporates at the time the rice is cooked. I use 2,5 times the amount of rice for a dry rice recipe. (so, for the 400gr of rice, pour 1 liter of water. The water will take this amazing colour

AND NOW: mix the ingredients with the water for a moment and take a look at the level of the water.

REMEMBER it. If you are using a paella, the rivets can serve as a good reference.

If you're using a different kind of pan, you can use a wooden toothpick to "measure" the level of the liquid.

The objective is that you boil the ingredients to transfer the flavours to the broth, so you have to add water that will evaporate in this process. Add as much as you want, but to avoid the cauliflower to overcook, it's enough if you add 600 ml more.

And boil with high heat until it reaches the level measured before. This is why using a paella or a very large pan is important, you need a lot of surface to evaporate the water quickly.

In the meantime you can clean, put what you've used in the dishwasher and the most important:

Choose a good wine and enjoy the moment because the job is done...

In this photo, a white wine of the variety Godello, from Monterrei in Galicia.

IMPORTANT: the wine has to be a spanish wine. Yesss... I know that in your country there are also wonderful wines, but you are cooking a spanish recipe, aren't you?

When the water reaches the level. If you were drinking wine and the level is too low, don't panic, add more water until is slightly over the level, mix it carefully, and let it boil until it reaches the level again. Now with medium-high heat, taste the broth. It has to be slightly too salty because the rice will soften the saltiness. If needed add salt, move and taste again. And put the rice distributing it over the whole surface and move it to assure that is evenly distributed.

IMPORTANT: Once you have distributed the rice, DO NOT TOUCH IT AGAIN. If you do so, the rice will not cook as it should! 9 out of ten of the people that does it in the TV or in youtube die in the following 5 days!!

And cook for the time recommended for the rice, the first half with medium-high or high heat at the second half medium or medium-low heat. It depends on the amount of broth you see. When the first half finishes, the rice is over the broth and the broth can be seen when it boils. If the heat is too high you'll see that in the 5 first minutes you can not see the broth anymore and in the final minutes the rice at the bottom burns and you can notice the smell. If it is only a little burn, it's ok, we call it "socarraet" and it's tasty. but if you are sure, when you realize the broth is evaporating too fast, lower the heat to the minimum.

The last part is taking the paella out of the heat and let it rest for two-three minutes. This way the remaining broth is absorbed by the rice... serve and enjoy it with friends, and email me or whatsapp photos, comments or questions!

Bon Appetit!

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