Dabiz Muñoz has been proclaimed Best Chef in the World by The Best Chef Awards three consecutive years. Therefore, he lives up to this title by devising surprising creations both for his restaurants and to share with his followers on social networks.
Along these lines, one of his most recent posts on Instagram (where he has 1.4 million followers) is a “Basque paella” that he himself has defined as “groundbreaking and unforgettable, like my beloved Basque Country.”
Although the chef has not shared the step by step of the recipe – since a good magician never reveals his tricks – he has detailed the key ingredients for the creation of his “Basque paella”, using of course many local products that give name to the dish.
Dabiz Muñoz’s “Basque paella” carries sofrito of homemade tomatoes, choriceros peppers and piparras. Accompanying the rice, kokotxas of pincho fish, clams and carpaccio of perretxicos. And to crown the flavor touch, incorporate fine herb salsa verde to the txacoli.
“Silky textures and many contrasts. Iodized, acidic flavors and a lot of forest,” explains the chef. “Very crazy, very unique, very XO,” he concludes, referring to his characteristic signature.
In the comments of the publication, many users highlight how good this preparation looks. “I am Basque and you have put together everything I like most in the world,” comments one person, to which another adds “what a wonder and spectacle.” “Your mind is an erupting volcano, genius,” adds another user. Another person describes the proposal as a “work of art.”
Of course, there have also been those who have clarified that, as it differs from the traditional Valencian recipe, the dish should not be called paella. But in response to these, many other users focus on the good appearance and the promising flavor that can be sensed from the video.
This is not the first time that the renowned chef has adapted this typical dish of Valencian gastronomy, adapting it to the flavors of other areas of the national and international geography. In 2021 he presented his “Madrid paella” with steamed mullet and caviar briefly roasted on vine shoots, sautéed smoked chillies and broth from the mullet bones with sherry wine and yuzu skins. And he also brightened up with a creative paella of tandoori grilled coquelet chicken, black garlic and free-range egg yolks marinated in vermouth.
In 2023, it showed the recipe for a Vietnamese-style paella, baptized “Ho Chi Minh paella.” It had roasted vegetables in an herb curry with grilled vegetables, coconut-marinated chicken and lime dressing, as well as a touch of coconut in the Vietnamese vegetable broth.
Back to the homeland flavours, their “Paella Galicia” was accompanied by grelos, Canary papaya and feira pulpits, smoked paprika from la Vera, volandeira from Pontevedra and clarified infusion of Galician broth.