Paella

Cap'n

Paella[p]As I have not seen very much of a discussion lately on Paella, I thought I would tell you about my recent playing with this classic Spanish dish. I learned to cook this from a little old woman next door when I lived in the south of Spain - and I have of course played with the recipe ever since (no two paella's are alike ;-)[p]Since I bought my egg, I have been wanting to cook Paella on it - a perfect method for it as most paella pans do not easily fit on a stove top without consistent rotating of the pan - and I personally would rather sip wine with friends than dawdle over a pan. [p]I have a pan that is 16.5 inches across (rim to rim), but the handles stuck out too far to fit in the egg. So instead of getting a smaller pan and sacrificing crucial real estate for paella, I used a hack saw and cut the handles off - leaving little 1/2 inch nubs which are enough to help me pick it up off the grill. This size of pan also allows for consistent airflow around the sides.[p]The nice thing about paella, is that it can all be done in the same pan, sauteing of the meats, each separately, then adding all the ingredients to letting it cook. Add the moisture-containing properties of the BGE, really lend itself to making killer paella.[p]Paella recipes differ depending on what area of the country you are in - and can have anything from pure seafood, to game and sausage only. The one I did last week was a combination, chicken, chorizo (the cured kind from Spain, not the fresh Mexican kind), jamon serrano (the Spanish version of prosciutto), smoked pork tenderloin (with some dizzy dust), scallops, clams, lobster tails. [p]Here are the basics - broth, sofrito, rice. The broth should be strong and infused - typically with a bit of saffron, onion, and paprika - and can either be chicken or seafood broth. I personally like chicken as it adds a nice base that I just can't seem to get with seafood. This sofrito is the next layer - usually tomatoes, garlic, onion. Add the rice - should be medium grain - and cooked al-dente.[p]Here is a really good write-up, though I have not tried his recipe, the commentary is excellent and authentic - http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/pages/c00113.asp[p]Remember to play with this - be creative - and experiment![p]Enjoy,
Cap'n
[ul][li]Paella @ Fine Cooking[/ul]

Nature Boy

Thanks for that Cap'n,
I saw these guys on foodtv making paella, and it looked like it would be a major carnival for the tastebuds. Cool that you took the time to post it....and sounds like you learned from the right person![p]Beers, sir.
Chris