Live-Fire Paella and the Spanish Table, Penn Quarter

Guests gather in a private dining room above a Penn Quarter restaurant, where a wood-fired paella ring has been set at one end of the open pass. The session opens with a short tasting of Spanish conservas, sherry and pan con tomate while the sofrito goes down. Working in two groups, guests build the rice: the stock, the saffron, the timing of the socarrat, and how the fire is read rather than the clock. Andrés moves between the pans, correcting seasoning and explaining why each step matters in a Spanish home kitchen. The finished paellas are carried to the table and eaten together with salad, bread and a glass of Spanish wine. The evening closes over turrón and coffee, with a printed recipe pack for each guest.