I am one of those people who think the bigger is better, so show me a giant paella made for the masses and I will show you a happy camper.
This was the Paella Guys’ 5th year anniversary dinner, a weekend long event with a total of 6 giant paellas made to feed a two long table’s worth of people, across 3 nights!
We visited on the first night, a Friday evening and walked into an elaborately decorated setting befitting of such a celebration.
The popup space was set with 2 tables that stretched the entire expanse of the room. On one end there was a stage for our live entertainment. A Spanish duo singing, playing, and dancing to set the authentic Spanish tone.
On the other end, a tent erected outdoors to allow for proper air circulation as 2.5 giant pans were heated over a propane flame. The largest 2 were dedicated to the beginnings of our paella. The 3rd, a smaller pan grilling up Spanish sausage for a smokey char finish.
Seated by the latter end of the table meant I had easy access to the cooking area and thus able to watch our paella come to fruition, step-by-step, ingredient by ingredient, starting with chicken.
As everyone found a seat, guests were invited to the cash bar where they were able to order Spanish wines and sangria by the pitcher.
The rest of us took our seats to enjoy the Spanish tapas pre-set at the table. Dinner was designed family style, where everyone shared regardless if they are part of your actual party or not. So naturally there were no modifications allowed, nor was there the ability to accommodate dietary restrictions.
To start was a selection of assorted Spanish iberico meats and cheese with mixed olives and Spanish almond to accompany. Small nibbles as guests chatted quietly in their groups, looking over the menu of things to come and taking note of the table setting. Decorative tapered candles set to melt all night and an open paper fan left on the table for visual interest.
You could taste the quality of the meats and cheeses. The former sliced paper thin and the latter left in chunks for guests to carve at. Best taken in tiny, limited nibbles or accompanied by drinks from the bar; as I found both very salty. Sadly the excess of salt was only exacerbated by the briny and salty olives. The individual almonds did offer a break and a new taste and textural experience. Unlike regular almonds, they were a lot softer in crunch and milder in flavour.
Next came a platter of Jamon iberico served carved up directly from a cured leg of pork. A visual display ticket holders were able to watch in keen interest.
I found the Jamon iberico less salty and a lot more fattier, to the point it seem to melt on your tongue as you gingerly chewed and swallowed. A delicate morsel best savoured.
Next came a collection of small bites over bread or in between it.
The Anchovy marinated aceituna was a chilled eggplant mix with red peppers and onions over a crostini. The soften vegetables over the hard crostini added a nice contrast in textures. Although coming off of the Jamon iberico before, this felt a little lack lustre and it ironically lacked salt.
The Marconas tortilla de patatas had a similar effect. It was a cold potato and egg omelette over a slice of bread. The omelette was tasty as is, so I didn’t find that if needed to be on bread. Had their been a sauce of some kind, the two would have come together better.
The Empanada gallega was more more pastry than filling. A pocket pie stuffed with fish, this was dry and flaky in a good way. A tasty crust that just needed a heartier, saucy filling to make it something truly special.
Next came the aforementioned grilled mini Spanish chorizo sausages, served with escalivada and bread from their Spanish barbecue. The menu mentioned smokey vegetables, but we did not get any here. Had we have, it would have helped to temper how salty we all found the sausage. And the bread would have made more sense, as I would have build myself an open face sandwich to balance out all the overwhelming meaty flavour. Here, the garlic aioli below would have also helped and some lemon to squeeze in some citrus for freshness.
We got my wish for something more fresh with our next course, the Ensalada de la casa. This is a typical Spanish salad made with tuna, tomatoes, pickled red onions, garlic, and piparra peppers. Finished with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Simple and clean it was tangy with pops of stinging spice from the pepper. A great palate refreshing leading us into the main course.
At this point it dawned on me that the kitchen was rushing to complete the night’s courses in full. It came to their attention that many of the guests (ourselves included) believed the night to be a 2-3 hour affair, from 6-9pm. Whereas the Paella Guys were prepared to cook and serve until 10pm. So therefore the outcome was not as desirable, were they able to count on their planned for time. A slight mishap I am sure they remedied the subsequent nights, as we attended the first night of their 5 year anniversary party.
The highlight of the night was watching the the climax of the giant paella in the making. With the rice being poured and stirred into the fish stock and left to simmer covered. A process that could have used more time under tin foil, as the result was inconsistent. There were bites that were still hard with uncooked rice and the paella had the overall consistency of a drier risotto.
As the shrimp was laid over the firmed up rice guests were able to engage the chef and learn more about the paella making process, including tips and what to look for. When time, the giant paella pan was removed from heat and the cameras came out to capture the historic moment.
This is the Paella Guys’ Paella Mixta, an authentic Spanish paella made with bomba rice, slow cooked chicken, red pepper, mushrooms, onions, prawns, tomatoes, garlic, pimenton, and house-made seafood stock. Served with bread, lemon wedges, and homemade garlic aïoli. A stunning assortment that needed more time to harden so that the rice would be hard and crispy, with the need to scrape it off of the burnt pan, as I know paella to be.
As I mentioned earlier, as it, it was a cross between risotto and the intended paella. And because everything was so salty in the beginning, I think my palate was climatized to the sodium, so that I found the main on the bland side. I would have liked more depth from additional seasonings, or more of the grilled Spanish sausages above chopped up and added into the mix. Its char would have added some nice depth to this.
I did enjoy the two types of shrimp included, and the fact the staff scooping servings of paella were sure that everyone got 2 small shrimps and 1 of the larger ones. The latter of which was sweeter, but also ashier. Apparently this may the result of the shrimp dying and the enzymes in the head starting to break down the meat. Cannot confirm.
Dessert was house made Spanish churro. Handmade into long strips the night before and fried to order in a giant pan of oil now. The smell of the greasy oil percolating was a little much for me, I do not know how our chefs did this. The conclusion were crispy sticks of dough rolled in cinnamon and sugar.
The menu described it as being served with dulce de Leche, which I would say is a necessity, but sadly it came to the table without it. As is, the bread fell flat and you were left tasting grease and the remnants of the oil to fry. Sadly, not a great churro.
Although I did find the food not to my expectations, I failed to factor in the fact that they are doing this in mass, and that it is all prepared in a makeshift kitchen with a limited heading source and time. Considering all that, this is a great event and one I would happy attend again. The novelty of a giant paella is worth it alone. And the Paella Guys are a unique catering option to hire for your own next outdoor event. An entertaining aspect to any gathering with the ability to feed up to 50 people per pan.
Paella Guys
(778) 725-6333
paellaguys.com
