How To Make Arroz con Gambas

When I think of paella, I think of José Andres. It was happenstance that my first job in the restaurant industry was in one of chef José’s restaurants, and since that time, he’s become one of my personal mentors — and a force of good in the world through his non-profit, World Central Kitchen. His cooking style is effortless and almost nonchalant, and it comes from a sense of confidence, paired with years of practice.

Since that time, I’ve worked at other Spanish restaurants, including El Bulli (the best restaurant in the world at the time), and I’ve opened two Spanish restaurants with my family, Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate in Asheville, North Carolina. Along the way, I’ve never forgotten the basic paella fundamentals that I learned from chef José. Here, I’ll teach them to you, along with a few tips and tricks I picked up along the way.

Paella is an iconic Spanish dish, known and loved by many. It’s named after the pan the dish is cooked in, and originated in Valencia, home to wetlands that produce the short-grain rice essential to the dish. True Valencian paella is made with chicken, rabbit, green beans, butter beans, and sometimes snail, duck, or artichokes.

This recipe, which features a summery mix of shrimp, green beans, tomatoes, and scallions, veers from the classic, so I’m respectfully calling it an “arroz” — a rice. It uses the same methodology as paella, but with different ingredients. Think of it as a formula, and use ingredients that are fresh and in season!

Some of the best rice dishes I’ve ever had were cooked on the beaches of the Costa Brava in northeastern Spain. My husband is from Catalonia, where seafood from the Mediterranean is fresh and abundant. I have incredibly fond memories of discussing the secrets of the perfect arroz with cooks who prepared these dishes almost daily for 25 years. While I’m sure years of practice had a hand in their success, there was also a common theme in the uncompromised quality of the ingredients: seafood caught that morning, locally grown vegetables, homemade stock. 

Perhaps the most important element, the thing that keeps people coming back, is the crispy layer that forms on the bottom of a well-executed arroz — the socarrat! Crispy rice spans all cultures, and this is a legendary version. It’s no easy feat to achieve perfectly cooked rice and a crispy-but-not-burnt layer on the bottom of the pan, but my hope is that this recipe will guide you through the process with ease. The depth of flavor and crunch are the reasons that paella, or arroz, is one of Spain’s most popular dishes. 

Over the years, I’ve learned lots of tricks for turning out great arroz. Here’s what you need to know.

1. Don’t compromise on the rice! It must be a short-grain rice, preferably a Spanish short-grain rice like Calasparra or Bomba, both of which you can buy online.
2. Take the sofrito to as deep of a hue as possible without burning. The caramelization and sweetness that form at this step will be the flavor bomb that takes the arroz to the next level.
3. The magic number is 18. José taught me that the magic number is 18: Simmer the rice in the stock at an 18-minute pace. If it looks like the liquid will evaporate before 18 minutes, cut back the heat; if it looks like there will be noticeable liquid around the grains of rice at 18 minutes, turn up the heat! 
4. Listen to and smell the socarrat. After the liquid has evaporated and the pan is getting dry, the sound will change from a slow bubbling to almost a snap, crackle, pop — that’s the rice cooking. As soon as that happens, start sniffing: The socarrat will let off a toasty smell. Make sure to take it to toasty, but not burnt.
5. Use a pan that cooks evenly. You don’t have to have a paella pan to make a great arroz. Try a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or other heavy-bottomed pan with low sides.
6. Don’t skip the all i oli. All i oli (Catalan for garlic and oil) is a mayonnaise-like condiment that rounds out a variety of arroz dishes, adding a touch of garlicky, creamy texture to bind the grains of rice together. Don’t leave it out — it’s part of a well-rounded and authentic arroz experience.