Paella

[The Knize]

I was going to start a more extensive paella thread, but I think we have covered it in this forum already. I bought a $9.95 15 inch paella pan at Aldi--I have wanted a paella pan for a long time and that is by far the best rice I have ever seen--and followed the America's Test Kitchen recipe on the grill approach from a show that was recently aired, although the show may have been from last season.

A small fortune in authentic chorizo made in Spain, large Carolina shrimp, real La Bomba rice ($12.95 a bag), and a fino dry sherry from Jerez (to mix in the stock for the base), but it was excellent and tasted authentic. The presentation was amazing. I used a gas grill not a Weber charcoal as used on the show.

If I were to do it again, I would cut the amount of the chorizo. I think the recipe called for an lb, I used around 10 oz, and I think 6 oz would have been enough. Perhaps less chicken, too. I would also have gone with smaller shrimp and smaller clams. My bad on the clams. I did add mussels to the ATK recipe, which I think was a good thing. Squid seems like it would be a good addition. Maybe a fish rather than a chicken stock. The sherry seems like an unusual ingredient. I would say it worked here. I think I would stay away from American "sherry" for this, and maybe for everything. Recipe called for more garlic that most, which seemed great. Recipe called for tomato paste instead of tomatoes and jarred red pepper rather than red bell pepper. I used red bell pepper. I am not sure how I feel about tomato paste.

I feel like this is a dish I should have been doing over the years.

 

[TexLaw]

That sounds great!

Mussels are wonderful in paella, and I can hardly imagine it without them. I'm glad you added them. For stock, I would REALLY love a shrimp stock in there.

I have no problem with tomato paste in recipes like these. It provides depth and even a bit of mouthfeel.

Did you roast the red bell peppers before adding them, or did you just chop them up and go for it? The good thing about the jarred peppers is that they are already roasted.

 

[emwolf]

one of my favorite dishes. I was at a resort near Cancun this summer and they made it beach-side in a huge pan.

 

[The Knize]

<Did you roast the red bell peppers before adding them, or did you just chop them up and go for it? >

I just chopped them up rather fine and sauteed them at length to make sure they were soft and blended in without the skins being noticeable. I was probably being lazy. The roasting would have added a flavor element and the removing the skins would probably have been a good idea. I am trying to remember the exact steps I took in making the paella. I guess the tomatoes and the bell pepper are really going toward making a Spanish sofrito. (Sofrito seems to vary a lot country to country.) Most of the recipes for a Spanish sofrito seem to call for green bell pepper, perhaps plus a lesser amount of red bell pepper, without any discussion of roasting. Roasting and limiting to red bell pepper makes more sense to me.

<I have no problem with tomato paste in recipes like these. It provides depth and even a bit of mouthfeel.>

That seemed to be ATK's point, along with saving the amount of time it takes to cook down fresh or canned tomatoes to thicken if not make a paste.

<Mussels are wonderful in paella, and I can hardly imagine it without them. I'm glad you added them. For stock, I would REALLY love a shrimp stock in there.>

Mussels seemed classic to me. And they release some nice juice and thus add flavor. (Anyone else finding that mussels seem to be smaller and smaller these days?) I peeled the shrimp and left the tails on. It would have been easy to simmer the shells in the liquid to be added to the rice. I do not know why I was throwing away perfectly useful shrimp shells! On the other hand, I do not know why I was peeling shrimp anyway. I think heads on would have been good, too. Folks can use their fingers. ATK suggested, as I recall, large shrimp so that they would withstand the cooking temperatures and time. I used very big shrimp. Seems like kind of a waste and that to use more normal-sized shrimp with shells and heads on would have allowed the shrimp to withstand the cooking time.

I think the rice was a real key to this dish, by the way. The Bomba rice absorbs an amazing amount of liquid and the socarrat seemed near perfect. I have burned paella before. I think with this rice, if one pays attention to sound, one will be okay, even without a tight control on any exact liquid to rice ratio. Truly a magical thing that I would have thought would be harder to get right.

 

[The Knize]

<beach-side in a huge pan.>

Having a big flat pan seems key. ATK says a big roasting pan will work.

Having a huge pan and lots of people makes for a great presentation!

 

[ackvil]

When I lived in NJ we would frequent Spanish and Portuguese restaurants in Newark, NJ. Two that I liked: Forno's and Spanish Tavern. They made a Mariscada with shrimp, mussels, lobster, white fish, and claims that was fantastic.

 

[davent]

Have made a couple paellas the last little bit with a 15" pan i bought last summer. Cooked on a monster propane burner outside. Ran out of bomba rice and after visiting seven stores ended up buying arborrio from the last one. Lots to learn but well worth pursuing.

Details & pictures in the 'What's Cooking 2018' thread, first was with shrimp and local chorizo, the second was blackened chicken, artichoke hearts, charred broad beans and roasted red peppers.

What's Cooking 2018?
What's Cooking 2018?

I've home from the library the cookbook Paella by Alberto Herriaz. Includes a chapter of interesting recipes for using the stove and oven to cook, something to explore during the snowbound days coming.
dave

 

[Macfrommichigan]

I find the Spanish rice to be to chalky, starchy, and rinse it once. But that is me.

I like to keep things simple. Sofrito, rice, broth, and later tomato slices, shrimp or mussels.

If the grill is too hot, you will scorch the rice.

 

[The Knize]

I did not rinse the rice. I probably would next time. Mostly because I generally rinse rice. I suppose the Bomba rinse seemed mostly authentic to me. I can see how one would think it was chalky/starchy. What kind of rice to you use?

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Paella on the grill.

1 cup Valencia rice such as Bomba, rinsed, or substitute Arborio.
1 quart stock
Pinch saffron
1 tomato, sliced
12 medium shrimp, peeled
12 mussels
1/3 red bell pepper, diced
1 shallot, diced
2 teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
Paella pan

Warm stock, add saffron.

Place pan on medium to medium low grill. Add olive oil to center. Stir in shallot, bell pepper, a diced tomato slice, paprika. Cook four minutes. Stir. Add rice. Cook 4 minutes. Add half of broth. Stir once only. When broth is absorbed, add salt, pepper, tomato slices, remaining broth. Rotate pan. When broth is mostly absorbed, add shrimp, mussels, pushing down into rice. Cook until rice is tender, broth is absorbed, mussels open.

Remove from grill, tent with foil, let rest 5 or 6 minutes.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Paella can also be cooked stove top in a 12 inch skillet, finished in oven. It is not quite as good, but acceptable.

If you do this, upon removing the skillet from a 400 degree oven, and setting pan on the stove top at conclusion, do remember the gosh darn thing is hot. Maybe place a hot pad on the handle.

Nothing ruins a meal like a serious burn to the hand.

 

[oc_in_fw]

<Did you roast the red bell peppers before adding them, or did you just chop them up and go for it? >

I just chopped them up rather fine and sauteed them at length to make sure they were soft and blended in without the skins being noticeable. I was probably being lazy. The roasting would have added a flavor element and the removing the skins would probably have been a good idea. I am trying to remember the exact steps I took in making the paella. I guess the tomatoes and the bell pepper are really going toward making a Spanish sofrito. (Sofrito seems to vary a lot country to country.) Most of the recipes for a Spanish sofrito seem to call for green bell pepper, perhaps plus a lesser amount of red bell pepper, without any discussion of roasting. Roasting and limiting to red bell pepper makes more sense to me.

<I have no problem with tomato paste in recipes like these. It provides depth and even a bit of mouthfeel.>

That seemed to be ATK's point, along with saving the amount of time it takes to cook down fresh or canned tomatoes to thicken if not make a paste.

<Mussels are wonderful in paella, and I can hardly imagine it without them. I'm glad you added them. For stock, I would REALLY love a shrimp stock in there.>

Mussels seemed classic to me. And they release some nice juice and thus add flavor. (Anyone else finding that mussels seem to be smaller and smaller these days?) I peeled the shrimp and left the tails on. It would have been easy to simmer the shells in the liquid to be added to the rice. I do not know why I was throwing away perfectly useful shrimp shells! On the other hand, I do not know why I was peeling shrimp anyway. I think heads on would have been good, too. Folks can use their fingers. ATK suggested, as I recall, large shrimp so that they would withstand the cooking temperatures and time. I used very big shrimp. Seems like kind of a waste and that to use more normal-sized shrimp with shells and heads on would have allowed the shrimp to withstand the cooking time.

I think the rice was a real key to this dish, by the way. The Bomba rice absorbs an amazing amount of liquid and the socarrat seemed near perfect. I have burned paella before. I think with this rice, if one pays attention to sound, one will be okay, even without a tight control on any exact liquid to rice ratio. Truly a magical thing that I would have thought would be harder to get right.

When I need tomatoes, whether in paste or whole form, my go to is Cento. They use San Marzano tomatoes, which I seem to prefer.

 

[6Cuda6]

I had this made for me for 6 weeks envery night, as a kid, while my parents were away on a business trip. The friends I stayed with where from Spain and GrandMa was there doing the cooking.....i can tell you authetic back country type paella has squid, octopus and fish.....not so much chicken. I think its really oir version of "stew" but with the staple food groups found in that region all mixed together in one dish. I suspect there is not just one recipe, its anything you want to put in it....lol.

 

[TexLaw]

I'm not much of a fan of paella that's full of chicken, and I don't like much chorizo in it. Chicken just gets kind of dry, and chorizo easily dominates the flavor. It's pretty touch to make out a nice measure of saffron with a bunch of chorizo in there. A little of each is fine for substance, depth, and complexity.

 

[The Knize]

I think I have read some things on-line that say it is not an "authentic" paella without chicken and/or rabbit in it. (I am not sure a goal is to have paella exactly the same as inland peasants in Valencia originally prepared it!) But I tend to agree that I could do with less (or even no) chicken and less chorizo than many recipes call for, including, for sure, the ATK grilled paella recipe.

On the other hand, lots and varied seafood seems like a good thing.

There is also reference to snails in authentic paella. Interesting. In Thailand they seemed to have snails in mixed seafood platters. I do not know if these were some kind of water based snails or land based ones as French cuisine seems to use.

 

[natenaaron]

That ATK show made it look doable. I might have to give it a try.

 

[Billski]

Paella ? I had to look this word up. Now I learned that that thing is a cooking pan. And here it it.

 

[shavefan]

When I need tomatoes, whether in paste or whole form, my go to is Cento. They use San Marzano tomatoes, which I seem to prefer.

+1, their "Certified San Marzanos" are all I use, I always have 4-5 cans in the pantry. Target has a good price on them.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Paella ? I had to look this word up. Now I learned that that thing is a cooking pan. And here it it.

View attachment 911982

Coarse salt helps clean em after. And a light coat of oil keeps them from rusting.

 

[luv2shave]

Cleaning with coarse salt reminds me of Risitas and his Parlleras lost at sea !

Sent from my MI MAX using Tapatalk