Paella

[j44ke]

Went to a party at a friend's place. I did some prep work but was otherwise the culinary photographer. This was serious work. Custom made burners and imported paella pans. Ingredients all sourced locally from land and sea. Great time, especially the eating part.













There was at least one Richard Sachs customer in attendance who was also a David Kirk customer.

[Too Tall]

Sweet baby jesus. Really wonderful stuff, thanks for the peek. I've got the baby version of that pan, it is only 2' across!
Apparently, in Spain they have once a year Paella contests where all the work is done over open fire pits.
Cooking traditions with deep cultural connections lights my fire.

What you described fits the basis for a future coffee table book that I'll never finish: "If you had a visitor coming to town and you were to prepare a meal for them that exemplified and showed your guest what values are embraced by your family what would that be?"

[grantw]

A thing of beauty. My Paella pan is 48cm diameter, so feeling quite inadequate

[j44ke]

Our friends are the guy with the striped shirt and the woman with the striped apron. He is a jeweler who works almost entirely in gold forging. They have both taught us that if you do something, anything, do it for the joy of the doing and/or the eating, emphasis on the eating, but also on the community that comes from having many people making food together. Don't accept the cheapened life. Or as he says, Life is too short for bad coffee and crappy wine. Really great people.

[YO!!!]

Recently my market has started carrying Calasparra rice. So I gave it a try and really like the texture / flavor.
I make a basic seafood dish on the stove using the rice which becomes a quasi-paella.
Chicken,chorizo,peppers,onions,saffron,shrimp,clam s,baby octopus,squid,Calasparra,herbs, and usually shrimp stock as the liquid base.
This is making me want to buy a real paella pan.
Any hints on how best to make the starch from the rice crisp on the bottom of the pan?

[j44ke]

Any hints on how best to make the starch from the rice crisp on the bottom of the pan?

I wasn't the chef, but observationally, it seemed like at a certain point they stopped stirring and just used a rake-like tool (last photo on right) to move the top stuff around, leaving the rice underneath alone. Also there were ongoing debates about water - whether or not to add any at various points. Seemed like they used very little water in comparison to something like risotto. The pans are also a thin but heavy carbon steel, so heat transfer is pretty direct. And they get a lot of use, so they are thoroughly seasoned and only get a soapy rinse-off not a scrubbing.

[Too Tall]

Recently my market has started carrying Calasparra rice. So I gave it a try and really like the texture / flavor.
I make a basic seafood dish on the stove using the rice which becomes a quasi-paella.
Chicken,chorizo,peppers,onions,saffron,shrimp,clam s,baby octopus,squid,Calasparra,herbs, and usually shrimp stock as the liquid base.
This is making me want to buy a real paella pan.
Any hints on how best to make the starch from the rice crisp on the bottom of the pan?

Happens all on it's own if you used the right rice and did not drown it. I make mine on stovetop than transfer to a 300F oven for 15 mins to finish.

[Ourizo]

Any hints on how best to make the starch from the rice crisp on the bottom of the pan?

You basically must not stir the rice once you add watter or stock. It´s not a easy squill, thoug! And adecuate amount of oil is also important....and practice, i´m afraid !

[Human Epic Jolt]

What you described fits the basis for a future coffee table book that I'll never finish: "If you had a visitor coming to town and you were to prepare a meal for them that exemplified and showed your guest what values are embraced by your family what would that be?"

I was in Terrassa Spain and had Paella cooked for me by a family.
a few hours later on the train i began to pass out. i knew i had to get off. no idea where i was.
slipping into a semi-conscious state i was convinced i was going to die it was so bad. never before had anything like it. i crawled off the station into some bushy area... i recall telling someone that i thought i might need an ambulance. took an hour or so before i could walk again.

one plus it saves time in airport lounges as i can cross the blue oyster bar off.