Valencian Paella

The Paella is, above all, a social act in which family or friends meet, usually on Sundays, around a fire. Thus, if a suitable place is available, outdoors, with space for firewood and fireplace (paellero), this social act takes on a celebration character.If it is cooked in “paellero”, in addition to the paella, we will need a trébede (tripod to support the paella), which we will place carefully balanced by its three legs to avoid tilting the paella to one side as pouring water would be a problem.

Any type of wood would be valid, but there is a widespread belief among Valencians that the orange tree firewood is the most suitable because it gives a slight aroma to the dish that results in a more authentic touch.

The critical moment in the preparation of the Paella is undoubtedly the end of the cooking of the broth. That is when we are going to get the hardness and texture of the rice, so fire control is crucial. Needless to say, it is much more complicated to regulate it with the wood than with a simple gas control, but basically it would be necessary to add more wood to the fire if we have leftover broth or to put aside wood if we want a slower cooking speed