DS Forums

 
 

What's the difference between Paella and Risotto?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 03-11-2011, 23:24
droogiefret
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: looking for tinned loganberrie
Posts: 17,508

MIne always seem to look and taste the same chance which rice I use.
droogiefret is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 03-11-2011, 23:25
whoever,hey
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 30,072
A paella you dont touch, so it gets a crispy bottom. But with a risotto you keep stirring, so it ends up more starchy, with no crispy bottom.
whoever,hey is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-11-2011, 23:52
droogiefret
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: looking for tinned loganberrie
Posts: 17,508
A paella you dont touch, so it gets a crispy bottom. But with a risotto you keep stirring, so it ends up more starchy, with no crispy bottom.
Oh OK - so if I make them the same they'll taste the same. And a paella I need to leave alone. I actually don't stir my risotto much so I'm probably making something between the two.
droogiefret is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 00:05
epicurian
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 15,890
Yeah, I think a classic risotto has to be stirred. They are methods of cooking rice, and with paella, the pan (paellera) is the thing and the grains of rice have to be separate, unlike risotto. I also tend to associate saffron with paella and parmesan with risotto.
epicurian is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 01:23
c4rv
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
Seasoning and spices are different as well as cooking method. Risotto is creaming whereas paella the rice is still separate.
c4rv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 07:40
BrunoStreete
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 7,071
A paella you dont touch, so it gets a crispy bottom. But with a risotto you keep stirring, so it ends up more starchy, with no crispy bottom.
I do a nice risotto in the oven, I know it's probably not the traditional way but it turns out much the same.
BrunoStreete is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 08:38
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
A proper risotto needs constant stirring, otherwise it's just a rice dish of some sort. Also, you add the stock to the rice one ladle-full at a time, adding the next one when the previous one has been absorbed, whereas a paella has all the liquid in at once.

The rices are different too - bomba rice for paella, and arborio, carnaroli or violane nano for risotto.

I think Delia Smith says you can cook risotto in the oven, but she's from Bexley not Bologna! Her version is no doubt tasty but it's a sort of baked rice savoury pudding rather than an authentic risotto.
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 10:58
droogiefret
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: looking for tinned loganberrie
Posts: 17,508
A proper risotto needs constant stirring, otherwise it's just a rice dish of some sort. Also, you add the stock to the rice one ladle-full at a time, adding the next one when the previous one has been absorbed, whereas a paella has all the liquid in at once.

The rices are different too - bomba rice for paella, and arborio, carnaroli or violane nano for risotto.

I think Delia Smith says you can cook risotto in the oven, but she's from Bexley not Bologna! Her version is no doubt tasty but it's a sort of baked rice savoury pudding rather than an authentic risotto.
One last question - do you cook Paella with a lid on to force absorption - does that matter?
droogiefret is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 11:01
c4rv
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Essex
Posts: 16,223
One last question - do you cook Paella with a lid on to force absorption - does that matter?
I don't cook my paella with the lid on and I don't think paella pans are supplied with lids.
c4rv is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 11:57
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
No lid. Never!
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 13:40
MICH78
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,051
I'm having trouble finding paella rice; is there a supermarket that always stocks it, which anyone knows of? My local Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's don't have any bomba, amongst their huge ailse of rice!
MICH78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 14:33
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
Waitrose always have it, if there's one near you. And so does my nearest Tesco, so maybe it's a regional thing (not sure where you are). Sometimes they label it as paella rice & put bomba in the small print, but I dare say you've checked that.
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 14:49
MICH78
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 2,051
Waitrose always have it, if there's one near you. And so does my nearest Tesco, so maybe it's a regional thing (not sure where you are). Sometimes they label it as paella rice & put bomba in the small print, but I dare say you've checked that.
Thanks for that, i'll check out Waitrose and stock up if i find it there. I'm in East London - more basmati territory than bomba, great for biriyani though
MICH78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 14:50
NooksCranny
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Scotland (From England)
Posts: 1,838
Risotto is meant to be creamy (like rice pudding) and Paella (one of my favourites ) is just meant to be normal looking yellow rice with sea food, veg and (sometimes) chicken through it)
NooksCranny is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 15:15
Gaditano
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Sussex by the sea
Posts: 2,068
Risotto is meant to be creamy (like rice pudding) and Paella (one of my favourites ) is just meant to be normal looking yellow rice with sea food, veg and (sometimes) chicken through it)
Or in some parts of Spain, rabbit and snails - nom nom nom.
Gaditano is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 15:23
droogiefret
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: looking for tinned loganberrie
Posts: 17,508
Ah - I've been doing t all wrong
droogiefret is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-11-2011, 15:48
degsyhufc
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Up North
Posts: 58,791
Risi e Bisi is a good alternative to Risotto. It's basically rice & peas and you don't have to stand there stirring it.
degsyhufc is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 17:57.