Paella

nolaegghead

I put the pan the grate.  it is a Weber Performer with a 22" grate diameter.  the paella pan is 16" plus handles.  fit fine.  single layer of briquettes.   if I had access to some pine and pinecones I would have burned them for the flavor.

BigGreenBean

Nicely done! 

KiterTodd

That looks great.

I haven't made paella yet.  I have the pan.  I have the interest, it just always seems like something I don't want to trouble with.

Always looks awesome though.  Thanks for the inspiration.

womaus

Nola....thanks for the reply.

I also use a 22" Weber, but employ a larger paella pan. Will not fit on the usual grate nicely. Been using a couple of shelving standards to support the pan on the grill.

Been thinking about making some supports that would be useful for doing paella on a Weber, have a friend that does a bit of welding. Thinking about something along the lines of a typical gas fired paella burner, just resting on the outer lip of the 22".

Must find some pics....

I'm in the NorthEast. Did a paella cook on New Years Eve for some visitors from Venezuela more than a few years ago...temps were in the low digits Fº. Had all of the ingredients mis en place outside next to the grill. Ended up chipping them out of the holders. Worked out though, dinner was good. Must find pics...

So, even in your inebriated state (at the time), what do you think was the easiest, what was the hardest of the cook?  

And pine for the flavor? I load up the grill with seasoned maple. Seems to work. Typical Europeans would use grapevines, nothing like pine.

womaus

Found a pic of a somewhat recent cook. Showing the hillbilly shelving supports employed.

http://i68.tinypic.com/df9f6e.jpg

Well, not sure if that's working for the link. 

nolaegghead

http://www.latortugaviajera.com/2010/10/pine-cones-paella-and-a-perfect-spanish-afternoon/

SciAggie

Nice work all around. Paella is just fun. Here’s a very simple one I did a couple of days ago. 

Hook_emHornsfan_74

Wish SWMBO liked rice. I know I know. She won’t even try any of it.  Kills me 

nolaegghead

womaus said:

Nola....thanks for the reply.

I also use a 22" Weber, but employ a larger paella pan. Will not fit on the usual grate nicely. Been using a couple of shelving standards to support the pan on the grill.

Been thinking about making some supports that would be useful for doing paella on a Weber, have a friend that does a bit of welding. Thinking about something along the lines of a typical gas fired paella burner, just resting on the outer lip of the 22".

Must find some pics....

I'm in the NorthEast. Did a paella cook on New Years Eve for some visitors from Venezuela more than a few years ago...temps were in the low digits Fº. Had all of the ingredients mis en place outside next to the grill. Ended up chipping them out of the holders. Worked out though, dinner was good. Must find pics...

So, even in your inebriated state (at the time), what do you think was the easiest, what was the hardest of the cook?  

And pine for the flavor? I load up the grill with seasoned maple. Seems to work. Typical Europeans would use grapevines, nothing like pine.

hardest part was buying the rice and saffron.  really it is a pretty easy cook if you have all the ingredients.  I did use a very regimented process after talking to Dwayne.  I'm on a cell phone, I'll type it down when I'm on my 'puter.

nolaegghead

On my 'puter. 

So I really didn't do much planning for this other than I purposely bought 2 Kg Calasparra rice and an ounce of saffron (cheap as hell per gram compared to buying small amounts.

As per Dwayne's wife's cousin or sister, and a conversation with Dwayne for 15 minutes where did an excellent job of describing his instruction.

Sauted onion and chopped green beans (said they should be the flat ones, but not common in US).. 

Added minced garlic after it softened up.  This is building up the sofrito.

Throw the rice in and cook it until almost translucent. or just try to toast it, it won't because there will be enough moisture in the sofrito to keep it under 220F or so. That's ok, just cook it.

Next grated tomatoes, cooked it down. Throw it in.

Since the formula was for 2 cups rice, it called for a tad over 4 cups broth.  I made clam broth from concentrate.  You can also use chicken, fish, shrimp or clam broth.  1:2 ratio rice/broth  I used a tad more broth as I like my rice moist.

I made the broth in a pan, added the saffron to it after dry roasting it.  The broth pics up the saffron and everything is immersed in it later.  Pretty rational plan.

Started a fire in the 22" Weber.  Spread it out evenly.

Put the 16" aluminum paila (paella pan) with the sofrito with squid on the grill, right on the grate.  Closed the lid and adjusted the bottom vent at 50%, opened the top all the way.  After 10 minutes I cranked open the bottom vent and cracked the top cover of the grill.

Par cooked the shrimp and mussels with some seasoning, drained them and threw them on top in the early stages, maybe 8 minutes in when there was standing water over the rice.

In the last quarter of the cook, left the lid off and the fire to get hot, it was dying so hot wasn't nearly as hot as if I had done this with fresh coals.  You don't want it too hot,  but regardless, the hotter you cook the bottom the shorter the window to find the rice roasted before it is burned.

Smell, cracking sounds from the rice crisping, feeling the pan bottom or edges if you have even heat for a buildup, all these techniques are needed to get a good roast on the rice.  That roasted layer is called the socarrat and is like frosting on a cake.

Cook until the socarrat is established.  The rest of the dish will be done when it is done.

You can't go time and temp on this dish, you need to check it visually and for the proper socarrat layer and not let it burn.

That's it.  I don't cook recipes, I like to know a process and how it works, then work within those parameters.

I did add some artichoke hearts when throwing on the grill.

GlennM

Great cook, lots of fun. I should do one this week if I get a chance  No Chorizo?

nolaegghead

GlennM said:

Great cook, lots of fun. I should do one this week if I get a chance  No Chorizo?

None.  One of our friends doesn't eat pork.