Rice heresy

[Jenise]

I made a risotto the other night with bomba rice, and I may never go back to arborio.

I made a risotto the other night with bomba rice, and I may never go make to arborio.

Never heard of bomba rice. What type of rice is it? Where does it come from? What made it preferable to arborio?

Spain. It's excellent for paella. Less creamy, more separate than arborio. For me, I like to use vialone nano or carnaroli, depending on the texture I want.

Spain. It's excellent for paella.

Wow! I'm going to look for it. I make Paella often -- never heard this rice referenced! Huh!

Go to http://www.latienda.com and search for "Bomba."

Bomba rice is very similar to the rice used in risotto, it should work very well as a replacement.

But of course it is similarly expensive...

F

[Jenise]

Spain. It's excellent for paella.

Wow! I'm going to look for it. I make Paella often -- never heard this rice referenced! Huh!

It's a short grain rice, very shiny and pearlescent both raw and cooked. Great mouthfeel cooked the traditional way with firm, separate kernels when cooked at the 1:25 to 1 water/rice ratio I always cook rice at, and it emits enough starch to do a credible job on risotto, as I just found out. I'd already decided that bomba might be my favorite rice (you know, the if-I-could-only-have-one-rice-for-the-rest-of-my-life exercise), but this pretty much clinches it. I buy it at the Bellingham Food Coop.

I made a risotto the other night with bomba rice, and I may never go make to arborio.

Bomba is fantastic - the problem is just getting hold of it. One of my favourite grains (although I'm very, very partial towards good Indian basmati).

[Jenise]

(although I'm very, very partial towards good Indian basmati).

Can't think why! It's a great rice, though. Btw, do you favor aged over new, and do Indian households keep both around (I'm presuming you're Indian, though that may not be the case)?

Spain. It's excellent for paella.

Wow! I'm going to look for it. I make Paella often -- never heard this rice referenced! Huh!

Bomba is a strain of japonicus rice (round grains, turn clear with white core when heated) found mostly in Calasparra D.O. and considered superior for use in paellas. I'm lucky that I can buy my bomba locally (as I can carnaroli, too) but I can attest to the quality of La Tienda's, too. If you've been using a long-grained indicus rice, you'll see a huge difference using Calasparra bomba.

Mark Lipton

Spain. It's excellent for paella.

Wow! I'm going to look for it. I make Paella often -- never heard this rice referenced! Huh!

Jo Ann, would you share your paella recipe? I have been wanting to make this and finally ordered the Bomba Rice and Saffron from La Tienda. I have a large Le Creuset round pan that I am going to use instead of buying a paella pan. I make Jambalaya often and it seems to be a lot like paella, am I correct?

Spain. It's excellent for paella. Less creamy, more separate than arborio. For me, I like to use vialone nano or carnaroli, depending on the texture I want.

Well, all three will do the job (release gluten).

Spain. It's excellent for paella.

Wow! I'm going to look for it. I make Paella often -- never heard this rice referenced! Huh!

Jo Ann, would you share your paella recipe? I have been wanting to make this and finally ordered the Bomba Rice and Saffron from La Tienda. I have a large Le Creuset round pan that I am going to use instead of buying a paella pan. I make Jambalaya often and it seems to be a lot like paella, am I correct?

Jambalaya was inspired by paella, but differs substantially in the ingredients. For starters, no tomato in paella; for another, different seasonings. Paellas vary widely by region and, like most peasant food, arose from whatever leftovers were on hand. One particular favorite of mine is rabbit and artichoke paella. If Jo Ann doesn't produce a recipe, I'll dig mine up and post it.

Mark Lipton

The original was probably made with snails.

Spain. It's excellent for paella. Less creamy, more separate than arborio. For me, I like to use vialone nano or carnaroli, depending on the texture I want.

Well, all three will do the job (release gluten).

Gluten? I think rather that's it's amylopectin. Bomba will not release as much as carnaroli or arborio, hence will not have as "creamy" a background, and the grains will be more separate. It's all good, but a cook should understand the textural differences between the varieties so that he/she can get the appropriate texture for that particular dish.

Damn, I love risotto, gonna have to make one when I get back home.

One of the most intriguing ingredients of "real" paella is smoked Paprika.

If you are ordering Bomba rice from La Tienda you should also get some of that.

It has a strong and distinctive flavor -- when I first got it I tried putting it in soups etc. but it tends to overwhelm the other flavors.

It is used a lot in Spanish charcuterie. Paella isn't right without it.

F

Spain. It's excellent for paella. Less creamy, more separate than arborio. For me, I like to use vialone nano or carnaroli, depending on the texture I want.

Well, all three will do the job (release gluten).

Gluten? I think rather that's it's amylopectin.

Well, this is an interesting biochemical point. Gluten is protein and Amylopectin is carbohydrate, a branchy form of starch. Amylopectin is the stuff that makes jelly get hard, you can buy "pectin" packets to help firm up your fruit jelly. Gluten leaches out of wheat to make dough cohere.

Wheat and rice are both from the grass family and both have gluten. I can see both amylopectin and gluten cooking out of rice to make it sticky or "slimy" (in a good way). Rice gluten is a bit different from wheat gluten. Anyway, here, read the details yourself if interested.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gluten

Frank

Well, this is an interesting biochemical point. Gluten is protein and Amylopectin is carbohydrate, a branchy form of starch. Amylopectin is the stuff that makes jelly get hard, you can buy "pectin" packets to help firm up your fruit jelly. Gluten leaches out of wheat to make dough cohere.

The interesting thing about gluten to me* is that it's actually formed from the cohesion of two different proteins, which come together via the hydrophobic effect ("oil and water don't mix" for nonscientists). That's why butter and shortening prevent agglutination: the lipids insert themselves between the proteins, thereby destablizing gluten. Why low temperatures reverse agglutination I leave as an extra credit take home problem

Mark Lipton

*Disclaimer: I am actively involved in destabilizing protein-protein interactions.

Can't think why! It's a great rice, though. Btw, do you favor aged over new, and do Indian households keep both around (I'm presuming you're Indian, though that may not be the case)?

Jenise - I normally tend to buy 1-year aged basmati - new is also very good, but I've found slightly aged rice tends to be a little richer and much more aromatic. We normally keep both and use them for different purposes. For a biryani or something like a pulao where the focus is more on a blend of flavours between the rice/vegetables/meats (in biryani)/spices/herbs, we'll often use the older basmati - for something simpler like a lot of standard south Indian dinners where a dal, curry or ambat (type of very richly flavoured, slightly sour/spicy gravy with coconut, tamarind, onion and fenugreek) is served over rice, we'll normally just use a simpler basmati or something like Thai jasmine.

Jo Ann, would you share your paella recipe? I have been wanting to make this and finally ordered the Bomba Rice and Saffron from La Tienda. I have a large Le Creuset round pan that I am going to use instead of buying a paella pan. I make Jambalaya often and it seems to be a lot like paella, am I correct?

HI, Karen
Following is the recipe I've used for years. I noticed after I read it that I haven't followed it in just that long, so I am going to give you the recipe with the alterations that I have made along the way. All measurements and cooking times are approximate. I usually cook my paella outside over a chimineria, but occasionally I cook it inside in the oven. Both are good, but the one cooked over an open flame is superior. I've showed people how to do it, but I've never written it down -- so, this is my best guess of how it should come together. Let me know how it turns out.

PAELLA

1/2 lb raw shrimp
1 fryer chicken (3-4 lbs)
1/2 lb linguica sausage (can use andouille, pepperoni or other firm, spicy sausage)
1/4 C olive oil
2 large tomatoes
1/4 C chopped onion
1 large clove garlic
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 tsp celery salt (or season salt)
2 C arborio (or bomba) rice
3.5 C chicken stock (or half chicken stock, half clam juice)
1 pkg frozen artichokes
1 roasted red pepper, sliced
12 whole clams
1/2 crab (cracked, and body cut into large chunks)
1 pkg frozen peas
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

This recipe needs a large skillet or 14-16" paella pan. IF possible, cook outside over an open source fire using hard wood. Shell and devein the shrimp; set aside. Peel and cut the tomatos into sections. Heat the broth over a low burner and infuse with saffron. Cut chicken into pieces and brown on all sides in oil; set aside. Add sausage and brown. Add onions and tomatoes to pan and cook until onions are lightly brown. Add garlic and return chicken to pan with artichokes and seasonings. IF cooking outside, add rice to pan and add half the saffron infused broth. Bring to simmer and stir periodically. Add remaining broth and seafood. Move ingredients to prevent sticking prematurely (but do not stir) until clams begin to open and shrimp begin to curl. Add peas, roasted red peppers and cook until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Perfect paella will be slightly scorched and sticking to the middle of the pan.

If cooking inside, preheat oven to 350º. Once chicken, artichokes and seasonings have been added, pour broth over and place into oven. Stir after 15-20 minutes; add seafood and return to oven for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add peas and red peppers and return to oven to heat through (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

If you make this and need to make a few adjustments to have it come out right, please share with the rest of us. Good luck, and enjoy!

One of the most intriguing ingredients of "real" paella is smoked Paprika.

Absolutely. AKA "pimenton," it comes in several different varieties and heat levels. Without it, it ain't paella.

Regarding the gluten thing, this was covered by McGee. It's the amylopectin that does the creamy job. The whole idea is to use a low amylose rice, and rice is extremely low in gluten anyway including (confusingly) so-called glutenous rice.

[Robin Garr]

Absolutely. AKA "pimenton," it comes in several different varieties and heat levels. Without it, it ain't paella.

And it's right up there with Heinz Chili Sauce as a "secret ingredient" to add a magical smoky flavor to all sorts of unexpected recipes. If I ever went all-vegetarian, I'm sure I'd use that stuff a lot to fill the hunger space left by ham and bacon.

SHHHHHHHH!!!!!

For an authentic smoky flavor, guys, cook it outside over hardwood!

Easy to say when you live in a place where it doesn't get to -40 degrees!