¡Paella!
One of the under appreciated aspects of paella, and the reason for the name of our company, is the communal experience of cooking paella. Paella is cooked in a large pan, and people gather to watch and smell the aromas as each ingredient is added. With a glass of wine, great conversations are had as everyone eagerly waits to eat some delicious paella. Having us cook paella at your special event will add another experiencial dimension.
We specialize in authentic Spanish paella and tapas. We use the highest quality imported ingredients and authentic techniques to bring you a culinary experience you and your guests will not forget.
At Paella Experience, we offer two different experiences -
Dining experience - The paella is prepared on site for you and your guests to enjoy.
Demonstration experience - Our chefs offer a hands on, personal tutorial that gives you the ability to make authentic Spanish paella anytime.
We cater weddings, birthdays, graduations, celebrations of life, winery parties, corporate events.
About Paella Experience
Clyde has been a culture, cooking and food lover for years. After living in Spain for 3 years learning about the regional cultures and cuisines of Spain, he has been sharing the traditional Spanish cuisines with family, friends, and guests for over 13 years. Partnering with long time friend, Spanish traveler, and award winning chef, Mark, we founded Paella Experience to spread the love, fun, and appreciation of paella and Spanish foods to future friends in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mark and Clyde have won multiple awards at the Paso Robles Pinot and Paella Festival, and look forward to bringing our award winning paella to your next event.
Why is Paella Experience Unique?
We want to honor the rich and varied culture of Spain and its traditions through our Spanish food offerings. That means we focus on traditional, Spanish ingredients and techniques. The paella we make has the characteristics of great, Spanish paella. Most paella served in the US and even some tourist places in Spain is "arroz con cosas" or rice with things. What makes our paella traditional and great?
Ingredients
Bomba Rice is the main ingredient that sets paella apart from other rice dishes. Bomba is the rice from Valencia, Spain and absorbs 3 times its weight in liquid making the rice really flavorful yet maintains its shape and firmness.
Saffron is by weight the most expensive and luxurious spice in the world. Saffron threads are the stigmas from the center of the crocus flower. Each thread is harvested with tweezers individually and gives paella an earthy and floral aroma and flavor.
Pimentón creates wonderful aromas as the paella cooks. Pimentón is made in Spain from peppers and is called paprika in English. There are a few varieties used in paella - dulce (sweet), agridulce (bitter sweet), and picante (hot). Our preference is agridulce which produces a smell and taste you cannot forget.
Technique
Socarrat is the carmelized bottom layer of rice in paella. Socarrat can only be achieved with proper cooking technique. The Socarrat is the part of the dish paella lovers crave most! If you experience a well made paella, the rice layer is fairly thin, around a 1/2 inch, to maximize the rice on the pan to create socarrat. The rice at the top should be al dente while the rice on the bottom is carmelized and somewhat crispy. I still remember my first experience in a paella restaurant in Spain. The predominant sound was scraping. At several tables, diners where scraping the prized socarrat from the bottom of the pan.
Paella is also the Spanish word for the pan paella is cooked in. Paella pans are wide, round and shallow. We choose the pan size based on the number of people eating to ensure a thin layer of rice with the perfect textures and flavors. Without the paella pan, paella is not possible.
About Us
Paella Experience is based in Half Moon Bay, CA and provides award winning paella. We have won multiple competitions in the Paso Robles Pinot and Paella Festival. We cater in the San Francisco Bay Area Including the wine regions of Napa, Sonoma and the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Why do I do it? I love paella and more importantly the fun atmosphere and party that ensues.
