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user errors - 1st paella cook (pic heavy)

Canugghead
Canugghead Posts: 13,983
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
It's embarrassing compared to Fidel's masterpiece today.
Followed TNW recipe with some omissions and modification, made too many rookie mistakes...
Started with Agulha rice, did not search hard for Bomba. Decided to use 2c rice instead of 1.5c. Didn't add enough broth, had to refill several times. Didn't have the sausages, forgot the chick peas. Hand chopped the onion instead of grating and didn't cook the sofrito to paste. And the biggest MISTAKE of all, use the p/s for an indirect cook :angry: Took almost two hours :blush: The layer of rice was just way too thick. The edge was so-so but center was too mushy.
Here are the pictures. Advice and criticism most welcome ;)
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canuckland
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Comments

  • BigGreenDawg
    BigGreenDawg Posts: 327
    The finished product LOOKS great, how did it taste?
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    Mark, I've never tried paella. The taste is passable and bear some resemblance to jambalaya, there's definitely lots of room for improvement. The photos are deceiving :P
    -Gary
    canuckland
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  • Boxerpapa
    Boxerpapa Posts: 989
    I dunno, looks pretty damn good to me B)
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    Thanks Boxerpapa, a half decent camera can do magic!
    canuckland
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    hate to say it, but next time, follow the whiz. THEN feel free to improvise.

    i always follow a known recipe first, then when i think i understand what's what, i might change things to meet the moment.

    gotta use the right rice for a reason....

    not trying to chastise or anything.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
    easieat place to get bomba is amazon
    paella is a somewhat complicated technique sensitive cook. like stike said .. follow the whiz he already worked out the details.
    for me...i plan paella well in advance, making sure i have all the stuff and the sobriety to make it work.
    it is worth the effort .
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  • Mainegg
    Mainegg Posts: 7,787
    It sure looks good!!! LOL do not give up when you get it mmmmmmmm........ worth all the failures! REALLY! this is a great dish with a little effort. and do it by the letter the first couple of times. then play with it :)
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    I think it looks terrific. Paella takes time.

    I think you already hit your two main errors. First is to cook it direct. It just works.

    Secondly, grate the onion and tomato for the sofrito. It cooks down more easily that way. I grate the veggies, then salt and put them in a strainer to get out some of the liquid. Makes the flavors concentrate and cuts down considerably on the cook down time.

    Measure the rice and stock precisely, and par-cook the meats - not completely done since they will cook to a finish while the rice is cooking. If you put already done meat into the rice then it will overcook and be dry when the rice is done. For example, I pulled the chicken at 150* and only seared my shrimp in the paella pan for a minute per side to get a little crust/color on them. I also add the shrimp last with about 5 minutes to go to avoid overcooking them.

    Keep at it. My first couple weren't that great, but they continue to get better and much easier as you keep making them. Paella is always a party pleaser - even if it doesn't turn out perfect the fun and interaction while preparing and eating it make it a true "go to" dish.
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    for the cc, advice and suggestions...
    I should clarify that it was absolutely not my intention to change TNW's recipe, it was more of a case of impulse cook with many distractions, user errors and forgetfulness :woohoo:
    - the rice: couldn't find it in the market I visited Saturday morning, even TNW mentioned alternatives to bomba but I didn't have time to search and went with the rice recommended by the vendor who sold me the pan, some members also mentioned success with Valencia and Arborio. The only thing I changed 'deliberately' was 2c instead of 1.5c because there were five of us, big mistake :blush:
    - I was going to use pulled pork because I didn't have the sausage, but in the end I forgot.
    - Didn't have time to search for the misplaced grater
    - You can see the can of chick peas in the photo but I forgot to use it!
    - Too old to remember it should be a direct cook :blush: btw, how long does a direct cook take?

    I changed the original thread title to "user errors - 1st paella cook"
    canuckland
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  • Panhandle Smoker
    Panhandle Smoker Posts: 3,018
    Is this all done in the wok or a Paella pan?
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,983
    Eddie, not sure if you were asking Fidel or me. I prepared the ingredients in the wok on stovetop, but the final cook was in the paella pan.
    -Gary
    canuckland
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    I do everything in the paella pan, unless there is a particular protein I am adding that I want to have some extra sear or color - like sausages.
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