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By Michelle Gilles Boulder Daily Camera, Food Section Wednesday, July 31, 2002 There are more than a few steps in the recipe, the ingredients are somewhat expensive, and the rice can be a challenge all its own. Enter the expert: Linda Carucci, chef, cooking instructor and culinary consultant from the San Francisco Bay Area who recently came to Boulder's Cooking School of the Rockies to unveil the mystery and magic of making paella. "I've always loved paella and I wanted to go back to its roots," says Carucci. "So I did some research. I decided to make it my business to perfect this recipe." Carucci tracked down chef Julian Serrano, of Masa's Restaurant fame in San Francisco, who is now in Las Vegas at Bellagio's signature restaurant, Picasso. He was teaching a paella class at Sur La Table in the Bay area, so Carucci took the class to discover how this native-born Spanish chef made the traditional meal. "I thought he would be a good source on information on paellas," says Carucci. "I had been experimenting with different rice and cooking techniques on top of the stove. But because the traditional paella pan doesn't have a lid, it's challenging to cook the rice. I was applying all sorts of culinary techniques, but I still felt I couldn't get the paella right. "So I took the class from Serrano and he really liked Arborio rice," says Carucci, surprised to learn he didn't use the traditional Spanish rice. "He started his paella on top of the stove and finished it in a 400-degree oven. It was really incredible. The rice came out succulent and moist, and everything else cooked well. It was almost perfect." While not technically traditional, Arborio rice works well for those who like their paella rice moist. Back in the days of old, in Valencia, Spain, paella was made in the town square in a pan called a paellera and cooked over an open fire. The rice would form a crispy crust on the bottom of the pan, which is still considered to be a sign of authentic paella. But as with many things that have jumped the cultural confines of this country, paella has been adapted and adjusted to satisfy culinary tastes in other places. This is why Carucci makes her paella almost exclusively with Arborio rice. The rice is more predictable and it turns out moist and tender, which is her preference. With the rice challenge addressed, Carucci looked to infuse more flavor into the chicken and shrimp. Following the suggestion of a Sunset magazine recipe, she marinated the shellfish and chicken in olive oil, herbs and spices. The meat and fish came out moist and packed with flavor that echoed in the resulting paella. To coax more flavor from the chicken and sausage, Carucci grills them just long enough to get sear marks and a smoky flavor. Then she puts them in the paella pan to let them finish cooking with the rest of the paella ingredients in the oven, "so that the sausage and chicken are really giving up their flavor to the paella instead of leaving the flavor on the grill." It was a passion for perfect paella that sent Carucci on her quest. Now with the results, techniques and confidence of many years in tow, she shares her knowledge with other paella devotees. Most recently, she shared with two classes of 12 students each at the Cooking School of the Rockies. One of the students, Gene Fosnight of Boulder, after singing "I'm just mad about saffron," says he and his wife have enjoyed paella since their trip to Spain in 1969, but have been foiled in past attempts to make it at home. By taking the class he learned tricks and techniques from a professional paella chef. "It was quite interesting to see how the rice came out," says Fosnight. "That's always the biggest problem. And that you could use Arborio rice. I never knew there was another rice for this. And the saffron was a nice flavor." Saffron is the key spice in paella. It should be good quality saffron, with filaments, not powdered. Carucci says, "If you're going to use saffron, you should use it generously. I use one tablespoon for 12 people." She adds that it takes 10,000 stigmas to produce one ounce of saffron, which accounts for its steep price. "The filaments add a beautiful dimension and authenticity to the dish and show the guests that this is the real thing." Cooking School assistant Angelika Ilina of Boulder is new to the Spanish dish. "I've never make a paella before, so it was great learning all the tricks." Some of the professional techniques that Carucci teaches home cooks include preparing fresh fava beans, which Carucci used in one of two paella recipes she made during her two-night stint. "We learned how you buy them fresh, boil them and take them out and put them in the ice-water bath so the shells come off easier," says Ilina. "Then you pinch one side and they just come out. They have this beautiful green neon color. It was definitely an interesting addition of color with the yellow rice and red tomatoes and meats." Years of tinkering with paella recipes have helped Carucci perfect her passion. It has added to her volume of knowledge and recipe repertoire, both of which she is happy to share with other paella lovers. "Paella is so special," says Carucci. "It has things that everybody loves -- shrimp, sausage and chicken -- and there's something communal about everyone taking from the same pot. The flavors are distinct and satisfying, it smells great and it is unusual. I think that's where its charm lies." Carucci's Paella Tips
    
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