Experts on rice, inside Valencia and out
Valencia’s paella is one of Spanish cuisine’s most internationally renowned dishes. Instead of arguing about the original recipe, the chefs of these six restaurants prefer to offer their own unique and delicious versions. Of course, they’re all based on rice...
At Lobito de Mar, located in Marbella (Málaga), rice dishes are cooked over wood and are divided into three types: dry rice dishes, creamy rice dishes and rice dishes cooked on grape vine shoots, all prepared over a very hot fire. (Pictured: grapevine-shoot-scented dry rice, Iberico “secreto” pork loin and lardo.) This summer, Lobito is opening a new restaurant in Madrid.
Chef Pablo Albuerne likes bold and different rice dishes. La Zorra de Sitges is completely sui generis and can be enjoyed with his specialities including burrata, cuttlefish, blood sausage and apple (pictured), and creamy rice dishes with spider crab and bottarga (a traditional Mediterranean food made with salted fish roe). They even make it with salmorejo.
Quique Dacosta is the chef who has revolutionised Valencia cuisine; he’s just taken his paellas to London, opening Arros QD. The restaurant has a section on the menu dedicated exclusively to rice dishes. Besides including traditional Valencian paella, he offers more contemporary dishes with traditional UK seasonal ingredients.
Another way to prepare this dish is the way this restaurant featuring cuisine from Murcia does it in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras. El Caldero is its specialty and – besides also being the restaurant’s name – it is a very traditional dish from the region bathed by the Mar Menor. The interior has just been renovated and paellas are now offered for take away.
You can’t make a list of rice dishes without including a beach offering in Valencia with views of the Mediterranean. The Marina Beach restaurant is headed by Juan Carlos Galbis, who boasts the Guinness record for the world’s largest paella. More than 15 rice dishes are on offer, including both classics and the chef’s own recipes, along with seasonal dishes such as rice with duck and mushrooms.
The last, also Valencian and winner of the latest edition of the Sueca International Paella Contest.
At Lobito de Mar, located in Marbella (Málaga), rice dishes are cooked over wood and are divided into three types: dry rice dishes, creamy rice dishes and rice dishes cooked on grape vine shoots, all prepared over a very hot fire. (Pictured: grapevine-shoot-scented dry rice, Iberico “secreto” pork loin and lardo.) This summer, Lobito is opening a new restaurant in Madrid.
