Pop's Day Paella

R2Egg2Q

Broke in my new 18" Pata Negra paella pan by Egging a Chicken and Linguica paella & taking it to my parents for Father's Day. It was their first taste of paella. My dad had a big second serving so I take that as a good sign

Wolfpack

Nice- I still have paella on my list... So many cooks so little time.

billyray

That looks outstanding, John. Linguica is a staple in our family.

Chubbs

Looks unbelievable. I need a paella pan badly. Possible to cook paella on mini for a few people?

Griffin

Wow...that looks amazing!.

The Naked Whiz

Chubbs said:

Looks unbelievable. I need a paella pan badly. Possible to cook paella on mini for a few people?

My guess is paella for 1 on a mini.  I've done paella for 4 using a 17" pan on a large Egg.  Maybe we were just pigs, lol.

n2wdw

Looks great!  Can you share your recipe?  Did you put it all into the pan and let it go, or pre-cook some stuff and then combine into the pan (it looks like the chicken thigh was pre-cooked)? 

TexanOfTheNorth

@n2wdw... paella is made in stages and, while not necessarily difficult, does require some skill and practice to "get it right". The chicken would be pre-cooked and, generally, the vegetables are too. These are typically added back to the paella (which is primarily a rice dish) for just the last 10-20 minutes of the cook.

nolaegghead

outstanding!

The Naked Whiz

n2wdw said:

Looks great!  Can you share your recipe?  Did you put it all into the pan and let it go, or pre-cook some stuff and then combine into the pan (it looks like the chicken thigh was pre-cooked)? 

I have an extensive web page on paella with all sorts of useful information and recipes.  To answer your question though, you typically saute the meats and vegetables in the paella pan, set them aside.  then you make the sofrito in the pan, add the rice for a while, then add the liquid, then add the meats and veggies on top.  Delicate stuff like shrimp, I tend to add just before taking the pan off the cooker so as not to overcook. It's a lot of fun and you should give it a go.  My web page has resources for pans, ingredients, etc.  Good luck!

lousubcap

Here's the link to TNW's paella write-up:  I follow it so I know it is practically fool-proof.  His site also is a great reference for all things ceramic.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/paella/paella.htm Great cook!

n2wdw

Thanks!

R2Egg2Q

billyray said:

That looks outstanding, John. Linguica is a staple in our family.

Thanks Bill! We linguica more than Spanish chorizo.

Chubbs said:

Looks unbelievable. I need a paella pan badly. Possible to cook paella on mini for a few people?

Personally we like paella & leftover paella so much that I won't cook it unless I have a big pan. Mini would equal 1 serving size or tapas sized for big eaters.

n2wdw said:

Looks great!  Can you share your recipe?  Did you put it all into the pan and let it go, or pre-cook some stuff and then combine into the pan (it looks like the chicken thigh was pre-cooked)? 

For the most part, the recipe is the one on the Whiz site by Norberto Jorge. I just upsize it for an 18" pan & add a little smoked Spanish paprika into the sofrito. I also roasted the peppers right on the coals and cooked the chicken raised direct.

BYS1981

how much different is a wok pan from a paella pan? doable or do I need a new pan?

The Naked Whiz

A paella pan should be shallow and flat bottomed.  Also, it should be made from relatively light gauge metal.  You want a wide thin layer of rice, and you want the heat to distribute evenly and quickly, and dissipate just as quickly when you remove it from the heat.  Carbon steel paella pans are surprisingly cheap, so I'd get one from one of the spanish suppliers who sell "real" paella pans.  I have a list of suppliers on my paella web page, Paella on Ceramic Cookers

R2Egg2Q

A paella pan is considerably flatter and shallower than a wok. If you have a flat bottom wok you probably have a better chance of pulling off a paella than a round bottom. I haven't tried it in a wok but my buddy says his mom used to make paella in a wok in the Philippines. I seem to recall seeing paella done in a large CI skillet before.

bettysnephew

FWIW, I just bought a paella pan at TJMax.  They had several sizes in stock.  If you go there to look through the kitchen area, the pans have red handles, which makes them stand out a bit.

RV10Flyer

@bettysnephew, do you remember which sizes they have in stock?  I'm looking for an 18" pan.  Thanks.

TexanOfTheNorth

The other distinctive feature of a "real" paella pan is a dimpled bottom. This helps in cooking the rice. If you want or expect to add paella to your repertoire, I'd suggest getting a paella pan.

bettysnephew

RV10Flyer said:

@bettysnephew, do you remember which sizes they have in stock?  I'm looking for an 18" pan.  Thanks.

Yes, they did have 18" and larger or smaller.  The pan has many little dimples in the bottom, is made of fairly thin carbon steel and was made in Spain by Garcima.  Don't know if it is a good brand, but it is the only one I have seen anywhere in Iowa.  Mine is 13" diameter at the top of the pan and 11" on the bottom.  With the handles it is 18" across.  The label says it is 34cm if that helps you for shopping.  It is just the wife and I, so this should be adequate for us.

caliking

Beeeaaaauuuuutiful!! One of those shots that makes me want to eat my screen. 

R2Egg2Q

Garcima is a pretty popular brand. My 18" (46CM) pan is made by Garcima. I bought the restaurant grade (double thickness) Pata Negra version as I had my thin grade stainless pan warp on me during a cook (it returned to shape upon cooling). A little info for XL users considering a 20" (50 cm) Pata Negra pan, the handles on it are huge (wouldn't be able to close the dome) and probably twice as thick (and probably a real pain to try to bend upwards for clearance). It is hard to see this on the websites. Fortunately I live a mile away from hotpaella.com and was able to look at the pans in person.

BYS1981

going to the store in person will be my best bet too. thanks for the website.. now to figure out how to get the pan without buying too much.. that means my wife might stay at home.

RV10Flyer

Thanks for the info bettysnephew and R2Egg2Q.  I picked up some Bomba rice from Market Street and am now looking for a pan.  Based on the info from R2Egg2Q, it sounds like a 18" pan is a good size for the XL.

The Naked Whiz

RV10Flyer said:

Thanks for the info bettysnephew and R2Egg2Q.  I picked up some Bomba rice from Market Street and am now looking for a pan.  Based on the info from R2Egg2Q, it sounds like a 18" pan is a good size for the XL.

Sounds about right.  The 17" pan that I got from paellapans.com measures 21.25 inches from handle to handle.  And different makes have different handles that stick out more or less than others.  If you can measure the pan yourself, that's great.  If you can call and ask, that works too.

cazzy

OMG...that looks amazing!  Outstanding job R2Egg2Q!!

tulocay

Looks outstanding