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Paella Question

post #1 of 5
8/4/08 at 4:39am
Thread Starter 
I'm doing a party in a few weeks and they've requested paella for 15. No seafood, just chicken and sausage.

Does anyone have a really good recipe?

Does anyone have any tips for prep? Can I par cook the rice in my shop and assemble on site, or would you recommend I do it all on site? I believe I'll be cooking outside which raises another issue; I have a grill and a propane thingie used to deep fry turkey- sorry I can't think of what it's called. Thingie will have to do.

Is a paella pan absolutely necessary to cook it in or is service in the pan enough?

I hate it when I say yes to anything....:eek:
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post #2 of 5
8/4/08 at 4:52am
Thread Starter 
Another question...

Just found a paella recipe in a book I really like, so I'll trust it until I hear differently from someone here. She says to cook the sausage, add chicken- cooking until browned on all sides- she uses boneless cut into 1 inch chunks, then onion, garlic, red bell then cook til vegs are softened. Thed add in tomatoes and spices and cook 5 min more.

She then says to stir in rice, add broth and simmer for 15 min. She then adds in seafood if using and peas.

My concern is that the chicken and sausage will be overcooked and dry.

I'd like to do it ahead up to the addition of tomatoes then add rice on site and take it from there.

What do you think?
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post #3 of 5
8/4/08 at 6:37am

hi there

Well some times when i make a paella i dunt have a prober pan to do it , so that, i will use what material i had in the kitchen .
First of all use what ever pan you had in your kitchen and not wasting more money to buy a new pan for just using it once, if you like it quick and simple you can cook the rice with saffron or tumeric ( if you dunt have saffron then use tumeric), on the site you can cook the juliene peppers, chop onions, chop garlic,peas, chicken, dice of pork ( if you like) , chorizo and other ingrediente you like to put in there. After all the ingredientes are cooked just mixed it with the rice . That one very simple way to do and for people had no experience.

Now the original way first of all make a stock, you can use chicken stock, vegetable stock or mostly people use the fish stock, all of them add mirepoix to the stock and boiled that for couple hours until all the flavours comes out.
Get your pan hot, add some olive oil with bay leaves, now add the meat that you like into the hot pan, take the meat out when it is nearly fully cooked and leave it on the side, after that put the seafood in to the pan and do it the same way as the meat.
Now in the same pan add a little more olive oil, some chop onions, garlic, juliene peppers,then the rice and stir for a few seconds then add the meat back to the pan together with the rice,now put the saffron, salt and pepper. Refresh with white wine and add the stock into the rice,now wait until it start to boil and turn the heat down, now add the seafood.
Cook until 15- 20 mins in low heat or you can stuck it into the oven and cook for 15-20 in 180 degree, check if it is cook. After that just add some cooked peas,or cooked tiger prawns and cooked clams on top for decorations.
You can make a meat paella, vegetable paella, seafood paella and etc. There are no rules for what paella you are making so dunt be so stressful when you got any problem in the kitchen, because there are always a solutions.

I hope i could help you in something for you dinner and enjoy. Bon appetite
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post #4 of 5
8/4/08 at 7:28am
A wok actually works pretty well for making paella.
more than taste fine
me eat it all the time
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post #5 of 5
8/4/08 at 9:13am
Thread Starter 
Many thanks Inventedchef and phatch! I have the perfect pan to use and will do some ahead in the shop and finish on site. I agree that doing the meat on site will make more sense so it won't get dry. I say a paella pan on sale for $25 and I think I'll pick it up mainly for serving. I'd like to impress these clients in hopes of them becoming regulars when they vacation in NH.
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