When I visited my friend in Málaga, we naturally ended up talking about food. And eventually, like it always goes there, we ended up heading for paella.
Now there are many versions of paella, and mine might not be strictly authentic. Yet the technique, that part is non-negotiable.
Paella is a dish I used to dread.
Somewhere in my youth, I had a terrible version at an all-inclusive resort. It was yellow, sticky, slightly fishy, and reminded me more of overcooked curry rice than anything Spanish. Long grain rice, soggy texture, no structure. That version stayed in my memory longer than I’d like to admit.
But the real problem wasn’t the dish.
It was the rice.
True paella is not made with just any rice. It needs short-grain varieties like bomba rice, which absorb liquid slowly while holding their structure. That’s what creates the texture: separate grains, deep flavor, and that final layer at the bottom… the socarrat… where everything comes together. A fact about the Socarrat there are restuarants in Iran specializing in just serving the browned just under burnt part of the rice, it is a real art how they do that there it is called tahdig.
So I decided to redeem the dish for myself.
Not by changing it into something else, but by respecting the technique properly this time.
Paella is simple.
That’s the important part people miss.
It doesn’t need complexity. It needs control. Heat, timing, and knowing exactly when to add what.
And today, it started as a bit of a kitchen accident.
A pulpo leg I didn’t really have a plan for. A bag of bomba rice I had forgotten in the pantry. Chorizo from a recent visit to the Spanish store in Hamburg, where “just a little bit” is never really just a little bit.
And then there was the duck stock.
Waiting in the fridge like it had already decided it wanted to be part of something.
What came out wasn’t traditional paella.
But it was honest, deeply flavorful, and built on respect for the method rather than strict geography.
Sometimes that’s enough.
Fusion Paella with Pulpo, Chorizo & Duck Stock
Equipment
- 1 Paella pan or Frying pan with not too deep of an edge prefferably at an angle
- 1 Cutting Board
- 1 Chef Knife
- 1 Wooden spoon or spatula for stirring
Ingredients
For the paella base
- 300 g bomba rice
- 200 gram pulpo octopus leg, sliced
- 150 gram chorizo sliced or diced
- 1 L duck stock hot, kept warm
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- Pinch of saffron or turmeric optional for color
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
Optional add-ins
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
Instructions
- Build the flavor base
- Heat olive oil in a wide paella pan or large flat pan.
- Add chorizo and cook until it releases its oils and becomes slightly crisp.
- Stir in garlic and smoked paprika and cook for 30–60 seconds.
- Toast the rice
- Add bomba rice directly into the pan.
- Stir well so the rice is coated in oil, chorizo fat, and aromatics.
- Let it lightly toast for 1–2 minutes.
- Add stock gradually
- Pour in warm duck stock (enough to cover the rice).
- Do not stir after this point.
- Bring to a steady simmer.
- Add pulpo
- Add sliced pulpo once the rice has been cooking for about 10–15 minutes.
- Let it finish cooking gently in the rice.
Control the heat
- Maintain medium to medium-low heat.
- Allow liquid to absorb slowly.
- Add small amounts of stock if needed.
- The key is timing, not speed.
Create the socarrat
- In the final minutes, increase heat slightly to develop a crispy bottom layer (socarrat).
- Listen for light crackling — not burning.
Rest and serve
- Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Top with parsley and lemon wedges.
- Serve directly from the pan.
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