18 minutes ago, Susanwusan said:If the point of paella rice is that it stays separate and cooks without having to be covered, and arborio rice is meant to turn out creamy, how can arborio rice be a suitable substitute for a paella rice? Sainsb's have a "paella rice" but it doesn't specify what rice it is on the website - does anyone know?
I think the “separation” part is slightly misleading. Paellas are not meant to be dry and separable (in the sense defined below).
To prepare, you are looking for medium grain, rounded rice. In Catalunya, bomba is popular. It yields a product which has not completely separated rice grains (like you may imagine from long grain varieties, or treated products like Uncle Ben’s). It does, however, have a clear al dente point, so from a texture perspective you will experience distinct grains while eating. Senia is popular as well, but produces an even creamier texture and is easily overcooked. It seems to be the most common exported variety - if I buy generic paella labelled rice here in Germany, it is usually senia.
I’d go with bomba if you can find it ...
