Arroz Negro Valenciano

We just got back from a trip to Valencia, home of Paella, and rode bikes to Albufera -- the lagoon and nature reserve where the special rice is grown. On the ride back, we had Arroz Negro at a sea-side restaurant in Valencia, La Dehesa Joaquín Castelló. We pestered our waiter about technique: only home made seafood stock, Albufera rice, squid ink, and a bit of squid. It was coal-black, strongly flavored, rich, but pure in flavor; no sofrito, no vegetables, not even salt, and only a small amount of squid. Take a look at the photo below of their dish: the surface is jet-black, with a lava-like texture of something boiled hot and fast leaving a surface of of proteins and starch congealed in time. The rice is only 2-3 grains deep, and the protein was minimal (like the Paella Valenciana we had the previous day). Our waiter told us the usual Bomba is used by slacker restaurants who depend on its ability to absorb liquid without exploding; his was the real deal from Albufera, and we brought back a kilo bag of it. Naturally, now that we'd tasted the Arroz Negro verdadero, I had to try to recreate it. 

2024-07-01 Attempt #1: too crunchy, not intense enough

My version is not so rich, needs work

Here's what I was aiming for, from our lunch at Restaurante La Dehesa Joaquin Castelló:

 Joaquín Castelló: look at that jet black craggy surface, ¡que rico, que fuerte! 

My first attempt here was OK but has lots of room for improvement, I wouldn't serve it to guests yet.  Ideas for improvement follow this recipe. 

This can't be made ahead: it takes about 30 minutes to cook. In Joaquín Castelló we had snacks (olives, peanuts) while we waited, in a paella restaurant we had an array of lovely starters while it cooked.

This serves two as a light meal. Consider following with a bright tomato-based salad.

       Olive Oil

166 g  Valencian Round Rice (1/3 of a 500g bag)

500 g  Seafood Stock

  8 g  Tinta de Sepia (2 packets)

150 g  Squid, cleaned, tubes cut in half

Film a 30/25 cm paella pan with Oil and sauté the Rice gently until it turns a little translucent.

Combine the Stock and Tinta de Sepia in a small pot, bring to simmer, stir to combine, and keep it warm.

Add the Stock to the Rice a bit at a time, and let it cook over medium-high heat to absorb.

Repeat, turning the paella pan to ensure even heating.

In restaurants, they use live fire: our old induction burner does not heat our pan over the full width, so I have to keep shifting the center to get the outer rice to cook at all; it still wasn't even enough.

Continue cooking until the stock is used and the rice is barely cooked with just a trace of "bite"; do not overcook to the point where it explodes (Bomba is more forgiving here).

I had to add some more water to the finish cooking, continuously rotating the pan to expose the edges to the heat.

This will probably take about 30 minutes.

Serve, topping with a couple lemon wedges.

Diners can spoon out the rice themselves to plates, or eat directly from the pan.

How it turned out...

The depth was good, 2-3 grains deep.

In my rendition, the rice wasn't quite cooked enough, especially around the perimeter where our induction cooktop failed to heat evenly.

The center started developing the crunchy crusty bottom -- the "soccarat" -- but there was none at the edge.

It could use a touch of salt: our stock didn't have any.

It needed more squid ink to match the intensity of the restaurant.

Next time...

Use 16 g (4 packets) Squid Ink.

Add a touch of Salt to the Stock.

Add the Squid at the beginning to take on the ink color.

Use more Stock, try 4 * 166g = 664g.

The texture comes mostly from the rice, but the taste comes from the Stock; perhaps we should add a lot more Stock, and cook over high heat to intensify the flavor and create a bubbly surface; when we peered into one kitchen, the paellas were cooked over quite hot wood fires.

Consider adding all the Stock at once rather portioning it in over time so it has room to bubble vigorously.

Keep rotating the pan and shifting to expose the edges to the heat, or try cooking over open flame on the BBQ. 

Arroz Negro in Barcelona

Arroz negro with snails and some frizzante rosé wine on the terrace

Last week, we moved to Barcelona. We've got a lot of legal, financial, and repair work to do, so we haven't had a lot of time to cook (you can follow our adventures, starting with our move-in).  All of our cooking tools are on a ship somewhere between Baltimore and Barcelona, so we're improvising with what came with our apartment. But we can still whip up some dynamite meals. 

A couple days ago, we got some mussels from a local shop, and Irene cooked them with white wine, leeks, and so on -- very simple, very classic. With some country bread it made a good dinner. 

We had some extra flavorful liquid in the pot which we saved: we never through away flavor! I figured we could use it to make paella or something. 

Last night, after fixing things all day, we went out to Can Cargolet for a big pile of snails and a couple bottles of wine (36€=$36 for the entire meal). We couldn't finish them, and -- surprisingly -- they asked if we wanted them "para llevar", to take away; doggy bags aren't common here, but we couldn't let them go to waste.

When we went to the shop (Bon Preu, a rather nice grocery store a couple blocks away), we picked up some Bomba rice for paella, and asked one of the staff where the "tinto de sepia" was; the squid ink was in the frozen section, and was under 1€ for four sachets -- excellent. 

After returning from the urgent care, Irene picked all the snails out of their shells, and I simmered the shells in the mussel stock to extract more flavor. I sauteed 200g bomba rice in some olive oil, added a the strained stock -- reduced to 500ml -- and added the tinta de sepia. After 20 minutes, I added the reserved snails, and dinner was served. Quite a tasty dish, and as Irene says, "using things up". It's very similar to a paella, but looser, and we're not trying to get the crusty socarrat. Definitely worth doing again. 

"Thaidig": a Thai variation on Persian crunchy rice

We really enjoyed Samin Nosrat's Tahdig, a foolproof way of getting crunchy Persian rice. We wanted to see if we could take it somewhere untraditional, with Thai flavors and asian rice. It worked really well, the flavor combination and the additions to the rice made for a fun and satisfying meal. 

Our first question was whether Jasmine rice would crunchify like Persian Basmati rice; with Samin's yogurt hack, this was a definite "yes".  For the Thai flavor, we started with coconut milk, then added chilis, galangal, and some salmon we had.  This made plenty for four people as a complete dinner.

Crunchy top conceals coconutty rice with salmon and squash

  2 C      Jasmine Rice
  4 Quart  Water
1/3 C      Kosher Salt

  1 C      Coconut Milk
  1 Tbs    Thai Shrimp Paste
  1 piece  Galangal root, thumb-size, sliced thin
  3 whole  Thai Chilis, de-seeded, cut thin

  1 whole  Kaffir Lime leaf, bruised

  3 Tbs    Oil, neutral flavored

  3 Tbs    Butter

  3 Tbs    Yogurt

 10 ounces Wild Salmon, cut into 1-inch bitesized pieces

 10 ounces Butternut Squash, cubed and cooked
  2 Tbs    Thai Fish Sauce
  2 Tbs    Lime Juice

Rinse the Jasmine Rice in cold water in a fine sieve several times.

Bring the Water and Salt to boil, then drain and add the Rice; cook 6-7 minutes until al dente (Jasmine seems to take a bit less time than Basmati, don't overcook). Drain in sieve and run under cold water to stop cooking, then drain again.

While Rice is boiling, heat the Coconut Milk, add and dissolve Shrimp Paste, and add Galangal, Chilis, Kaffir Lime Leaf, and cook to coax out the flavors.

Heat the Oil and Butter until melted and frothy in a 12-inch non-stick skillet. 

Remove 1 1/2 C par-cooked Rice and gently mix with the Yoghurt, then add to hot skillet and line the bottom of the pan.

Gently fold the Salmon, Squash, and Flavored Cocount Milk into the remaining Rice. Add to the base layer of rice in the skillet, trying not to disturb it as it forms a crust; spread evenly, then poke 6 holes to the bottom of the skillet to let moisture escape and the rice to crisp up. Splash the Fish Sauce and Lime Juice over the top.

White base on the bottom, flavored and stuffed rice on top

Cook 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to heat evenly.

Check the edges for browning; add a bit of oil around the outside if needed. Cook another 15-20 minutes until the crust is formed and well-browned. 

Edges browned, white foam shows salmon is cooked

Invert a serving platter over the skillet, and with confidence and gusto, invert quickly; the finished dish should easily fall onto the platter. 

Look at that crust! Brown spots are where we punched holes for steam

Serve.

Adjustments

The intensity of the Coconut Milk was just right -- noticeable but not over-powering. The proportion of Salmon and Squash seemed good. We couldn't detect any heat from the Chilis, though they were plenty fierce before cooking, so add more.  The Fish Sauce and Lime Juice were barely noticeable, so bump these up too.

Future directions...

With this under our belt, we're interested in trying even more silly variations, like Gumbo-inspired (roux for flavor, with andouille sausage and okra), middle eastern, etc. Will regular American short-grain rice work? We don't think Italian arborio (risotto) would work as it's designed to get creamy; asian sticky rice might be fun; Spanish bomba rice could but its virtues are probably best expressed as paella.

Do we need the yogurt? Would unflavored coconut milk also provide coherence and browning? Would the butter and oil be enough by themselves?

We'd also like to scale down the recipe for two people. For 1 Cup Rice, my math says an 8-inch pan provides the proportionate area.

Samin Nosrat's Tahdig (Persian-ish crispy rice)

Samin cooked Iranian/Persian basmati rice to develop the crunchy bottom, the coveted "tahdig", on the cooking show Salt Fat Acid Heat. I love that stuff, so was happy to find her adaptation which is so easy. It uses Yogurt to help bind and brown the crunchy layer, and parboiling so you can finish cooking -- and develop the crust -- in a low non-stick skillet instead of deep pot. I've adjusted it a bit for our pans, over-sizing the crusty rice base a little. It makes enough for four, but we found the leftovers heated up OK, but were not quite as fragrant. (David Lebovitz borrows from Samin and several others, but uses less water and salt in the parboiling stage; he mixes yoghurt and butter, and adds saffron which sounds excellent).

We mixed in some small cubes of cooked squash to the second Rice addition and it was a fine complement to the rice. 

Crunchy rice!

  2 C   Basmati Rice
1/3 C   Kosher Salt (depending on saltiness)
1/3 C   Yogurt
  3 Tbs Vegetable Oil
  3 Tbs Butter

Rinse the Rice several times until the water runs clear; easiest to do this in a fine mesh sieve in a bowl.

Bring 4 Qt Water to boil with salt, it seems like too much Salt, but it doesn't cook long and most of the water is discarded. Boil the Rice 6-8 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking.

Heat a 12-inch non-stick skillet, add Oil and Butter, and melt; it'll turn frothy.

Remove 1 1/2 C Rice and mix with Yogurt. Add to skillet and flatten to cover the bottom: this will become the crust.

Add the rest of the Rice on top, mounding slightly to the center. (Poke 6 holes through the rice to the bottom of the skillet to allow steam to escape so the rice dries out.

Cook 20 minutes over medium heat, turning a quarter turn ever 5 minutes for even browning.

Check the edges to ensure they're browning, if not, add a bit more oil around the edges. 

Edges starting to brown; we added some cubed squash

Cook on low heat another 15-20 minutes until the rice is done, crunchy on the bottom.

Place a platter over the skillet and bravely invert: the rice should detach easily and form a beautiful display. Serve.

Paella with Snails and Pork on the BBQ

Paella originated in the fields and on the beaches of Spain: they cooked outside over open fires.  I  wanted to get away from the stovetop and oven-finishing of modern recipes and see if I could get a smoky flavor from cooking over wood on the barbecue.  I used some lump charcoal to start the fire, then fed it with wood and added dried stems of rosemary and other herbs from the garden.  It turned out rather well and it was fun to use the BBQ like as stovetop.

Dinner is served outside as night falls, with a Martín Códax Albariño wine.

Our paella pan is 9.5 inches in diameter at the bottom, 11.5 at the top. This recipe is scaled for that size -- you need plenty of surface area so the liquid evaporates.  It feeds two generously, or four at a push.  The pan is the traditional thin metal, not the bogus pricy ones you find at "gourmet" stores in the U.S.

This recipe succeeds also because of the restrained amount of "toppings". We use what we had on hand and in the garden, and like the snails; the pork we had wasn't very flavorful so we boosted it with the some porky fat (bacon fat works well).  You want to use as little fat as you can because you're trying to get a crunchy crust on the bottom.  If I were using squid, shrimp or other fish, I'd probably use a different fat and use fish stock.

It's critical to use the proper rice: Bomba. It absorbs the flavorful stock but unlike Risotto, doesn't turn creamy -- each grain should be separate. 

Bomba rice: note the short, round grain; spring onions from the garden.

Small heads of garlic from the garden.

Flat "roma" beans from the garden. "Dork" fat (duck and pork) we used to saute the pork.

Snails with proper breeding.

4 C Chicken Stock
1/2  Onion, chopped
1  Bay Leaf
1/4 tsp Thyme, fresh
1 sprig Parsley, fresh
3  Peppercorns

7 oz Canadian Bacon (Pork loin; could use chicken, rabbit, etc)
1 Tbs Bacon Fat (you could use olive oil)
1/4  Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped
1/4  Tomato, finely chopped
2 clove Garlic, minced
1 1/2 C Rice, short-grain like Arborio
1 tsp Smoked Paprika (pimenton)

1 pinch Saffron

1/4 Lb String Beans, cut into bite-sized pieces
24  Snails, from a can, drained and rinsed

6  Scallions, chopped, with some greens
1 stick Rosemary

On stovetop (I cheated here) bring Stock, Onion, Bay, Thyme, Parsley, Peppercorns to boil. Simmer 30 minutes, strain, reduce to 3 Cups; the ratio of liquid to rice is important.  Bring Enriched Stock to warm part of BBQ to keep hot.

Mise en place for ingredients by the BBQ.

On the BBQ, heat the paella pan over coals and wood; you'll be using this like a skillet on the stovetop.  Add the Fat and saute the Pork until it's cooked through and lightly browned. I closed the cover to keep in the smoke when possible. Remove and reserve the Meat.

Sauteing the pork in Dork Fat; the enhanced stock says warm by the fire

Add the Red Pepper and cook until softened. Add the Tomato and Garlic and cook to dry off most of the tomato's liquid. 

Stir in Rice and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes; sometimes I am able to get this translucency, other times not.

Cooking the rice a bit.

Add Paprika, Saffron, enriched Stock, Green Beans. This evening, I added the beans later, since they were so fresh, they didn't need so much time to cook. I also waited to strain the enriched stock until adding it to the rice mixture -- once less thing to clean, and a bit longer for flavors to develop.

You can strain the stock right into the cooking rice.

Bring to boil, season with Salt and Pepper, stir to evenly distribute everything.  

Simmer 7-10 minutes, until no longer soupy but some liquid remains; do not stir so you don't disturb the formation of a crust.

The liquid is starting to be absorbed.

Adding the fresh roma beans late, it all depends on how much time they need to cook.

Bury the Snails and add the Meat.  If you were doing (say) rabbit and squid, or sausage and mussels, you'd do that now too. Pre-cook meats but add things that don't need much cooking right at the end.

Snails and cooked pork added to the pan.

Continue cooking until liquid absorbed/evaporated but rice not quite done (al dente).  Remove to a warm location, garnish with Scallions and Rosemary sprig,  cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes to finish the rice.  

We've lost our light, but the rosemary kicks off a great fragrance.

Serve.