Rafa Margós does not understand the traditional preparation of Paella without its original combustion. Its aroma and flavor transport us to the original version of the dish. That's why at El Paeller, firewood is just another ingredient, invisible to the eye, but not to the palate.
Using firewood requires some planning, a suitable paella pan, and, of course, proper wood handling. Controlling the fire to give the paella the intensity it needs at each stage of cooking is a task that requires practice and knowledge. That's why Rafa Margós gives you the keys to choosing the ideal firewood for making an authentic wood-fired paella.
Why is firewood so important in paella?
A paella cooked over a wood fire is different. The flavor and aroma of the burning wood are very noticeable. It's an ingredient you can't see, but it determines the result, influencing three key aspects of the paella: the aroma, the flavor, and the color.
Furthermore, it is a natural and locally sourced ingredientIn our region we have wonderful firewood: orange, vine, pine, almond… And being of plant origin and the result of taking advantage of the annual pruning, it is a very efficient combustion. sustainable.
What is the best firewood for paella?
There are many types of firewood, and although orange wood is generally considered the best, it cannot always be used. It depends a lot on the pruning and the season. In the Valencian Community we find fantastic plant combustion. Citrus and vine wood are always the best.Yes, because they lack resin and have the perfect acidity to contribute that special aroma and flavor to the preparation.
How do you sort the firewood in your paella pan?
When cutting firewood, the trimmings should be sun-dried and sorted by size according to thickness: Wide logs, about the thickness of your wrist, allow for longer burning. Medium-sized branches, about the thickness of your thumb, are used to fuel the fire with medium intensity. Thin branches provide greater fire intensity and are the ones that make it easier to ignite the flames. In short, The smaller the wood, the greater the intensity of the fire and the shorter its duration.
How to manage the intensity of the firewood during processing?
The most important thing is that The firewood we use should be of low power, but fast burning. This will allow you to control the heat during cooking and ensure even cooking.
After lighting the fire with thin branches and having the flame intensity under control, we will place the paella pan and begin to cook. In the sofrito, the flame intensity should be low, A manageable and steady fire that allows the ingredients to cook evenly. We will use medium-sized branches for this.
Once we add the broth (water if it's Valencian Paella) We need to increase the heat using thin branches, and when it comes to a boil, we add the rice. and for the first 9 or 10 minutes continue to maintain the fire at maximum intensity with these types of branches or thin sticks.
After those minutes have passed and the broth reaches the level of the rice, The firewood will be distributed towards the edgesThis is so that the heat is distributed towards the perimeter of the paella. This is important to prevent the center from burning.
The last minute of cooking, to get the socarrat, we will reincorporate fine branches to increase the fire power.
