Paella, pan size, etc.

[TheNakedWhiz]

I cook with the lid open until it is time to cook the rice, i.e. added the broth and put whatever needs to go on top on top of the rice. I open the lid when it gets close in order to monitor for the soccarat. I often chicken out before the soccarat develops, lol.

[mguerra]

I have made paella on the KK using the stainless pan that is meant for the heat deflector. Works like a champ! I cook it hot with the lid shut. Photos and story here:

http://www.komodokamado.com/forum/viewt ... 54&start=0

[mguerra]

Woops, I see my link was simply to the previous page of this very thread. Sorry.

[Loquitur]

Arroz con Pollo I recently made Arroz con Pollo doing the chicken and sofrito on top of my stove and finishing on the KK with the lid open whole time. I prepare this basically the same way as a paella but for limited ingredients. It came out really good except the fire was getting super hot at the end and I was happy to get it off the grill so as not to burn the soccarat. I've been spending two weeks a year in Spain for the past twenty years and I bring rice home that is widely available in the supermarkets. It costs a couple of Euros a kilo.

[bryan]

Great looking dish. Do you close bottom damper?

[T Rex]

Susan, you kill me.................. Not ready to go there yet, but now I have a good reason to..........

T Rex

[Loquitur]

I did close the bottom damper but not soon enough. This was the first time I ever used a pan of any kind on the KK and I didn't know how much heat I would need for a gentle simmer on the main grate. I was aiming at 350, which is what it was when I started. But by the time I finished, I'm sure it was quite a bit hotter. I think I just made too big a fire to start, which got bigger and bigger because the lid was open the whole time. But my cast iron paella pan was able to handle it. I think the bottom of the rice would have been incinerated if I was using a conventional paella pan.

Susan

[bryan]

Re: Arroz con Pollo

I recently made Arroz con Pollo

http://www.kitchenwindow.com/H_RecipePaella.asp

This may or may not be of some help.

[mguerra]

All paella pans are on sale now, 20% off, at Latienda.com

http://www.tienda.com/paella/paella_pan ... C-082310PR

[cuddlicious]

Re: Paella, pan size, etc.

I am thinking to buy a pan that will suits for paella. I don’t have any idea in cookware but to cook only. Until one day, the saleslady told me that stainless steel is the best for it (that in my mind, this is not good). However, that lady seems she knew more than I in terms of cooking. haha.. Many paella cooks prefer iron pans to stainless steel ones, though both work quite well but as this lady told me, for those favoring the traditional iron pans must be careful to avoid the iron’s inevitable rusting.. then I should go for stainless steel.

[bryan]

Re: Paella, pan size, etc.

My cast-iron skillets work great. I have used them for all types of cooking for over 40 years. The drip pan from Dennis also works great. My cook in Spain used a clay dish.

Paella is a Spanish stew w/rice. If you can cook rice you can cook paella. Just jump in and have fun cooking. The main thing about paella is that it's NOT a deep dish cook.