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Paella Pan

Preparing paella is an interesting endeavour for any cook. This dish does not really have a set list of ingredients but is mostly a combination of different meats and vegetables. In fact, the The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, refers to paella as a saffron-flavored dish made with varying combinations of rice, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood.

The meal is prepared in a pot – all the ingredients meld together in the pot while cooking to create the dishes great taste. This pot cooking is so closely associated with this dish that itÂ’s name, paella means frying pan or pot in Old French and Catalan languages.

Paella is a great dish to make if you want to clean out the fridge and use up leftover meats and vegetables. Any combination will eventually be great the secret is in the chemistry. Paella is a dish that is generally made to feed several people. Moreover, paella is quite flavorful the next day as the tastes have had time to mix together and become stronger.

The secret to a good paella is being creative, therefore there are many recipes one can follow. But since a recipe is not necessary, nor desirable, the basic steps to creating this dish are outlined below. ItÂ’s up to you to provide the creativity in ingredients to make the dish your own!

Making The Rice

You can use whatever kind of rice you like. A wild rice can add interesting flavor and texture to the dish, but if you prefer brown or white feel free to go with. Frying the rice as outlined below will give it a nutty flavor.

Wash the rice and set aside

Chop tomato, onion ad garlic

Heat olive oil in a skillet, and once the oil is hot (but not smoking) toss in the rice

Add the onion, garlic and tomato after a minute or two

Stir until the onion, tomato and garlic are soft. DonÂ’t let the rice mixture overcook – 3 to 5 minutes is plenty of time. At the end of the cooking, you can spice it with whatever spices you like. Some common spices for paella are saffron, salt and pepper but you could add cayenne, cinnamon or any other herbs that you and your guests prefer.

Remove the mixture from the burner and toss in some frozen peas. Not too many as you donÂ’t want to overpower the rice but just enough to add a little accent.

Preparing The Meat

In a frying pan at high heat, brown some pieces of chicken. Upper thighs, drumsticks, breasts…it’s all good. Do not cook the meat completely but brown the outside. Once browned, set the meat aside. Lamb can also add great flavor to your paella.

Combining The Two

The combining of the rice and meat mixtures is what makes the paella such an interesting and flavorful dish. Cover the bottom of the paella pan with the uncooked rice mixture. Add the browned chicken pieces on top. Add uncooked Merguez (spicy lamb sausages) and small fish filets rolled up and fastened with a toothpick or string. Use any type of fish but make sure that its flesh will hold well together. Pour some chicken broth on top (if the broth is warm the cooking time will reduce). Note that you can also add wine for more flavor. Cover the paella dish and cook for about 45 minutes at 350F or until the rice is cooked. At this point you can add raw shrimp or muscles and cook uncovered for another five minutes.

And there you have it, an interesting dish with something in it that is sure to please everyone!

Lee Dobbins writes for Online Gourmet Foods where you can find more recipes and dinner menus.

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How to make Paella?

Do I need a special dish or do I just cook it in a pan. I have found lots of spanish recipies on line and it sounds like you do it in a frypan uncoveren. I always thought there was a special dish that you cooked it in. Also, I will be doing a carne (meat) paella as my partner doesn’t eat seafood. I don’t know if this makes a difference.

1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
16 ounces stewed tomatoes
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth
1 cup water
2 cups parboiled rice (Uncle Ben’s is parboiled)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb shrimp
1 lb scallops
1 lb boneless skinless chicken
Not the one? See other Super Easy Paella Recipes
Chop the chicken into 1 inch chunks.
Salt, pepper and garlic powder the meat.
Brown in oil that has been heated in a large pot such as a Dutch Oven.
Remove chicken and add peppers, onion, garlic, and cook until soft (about 10 minutes).
Remove and put with chicken.
In the same pot, combine, the tomatoes (you may need to cut them depending on the brand) and the liquid with the broth and water.
Bring to a boil.
Add turmeric and paprika and stir in the rice.
Add the chicken and vegetables.
Cover tightly and reduce heat to simmer (low or med low).
Cook for 30-35 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.
Add shrimp and scallops be sure to PUSH THEM TO THE BOTTOM UNDER THE RICE.
Cook for 5-10 minutes uncovered or until the shrimp are pink.
You may add a can of peas which I don’t but it is the traditional way.

omit the seafood and chicken. Make sure you cook the beef all the way through.

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Steven Raichlen Paella Pan $34.95 Originating in Spain, paella is now internationally known. A good paella starts with short grain rice and saffron, cooked in a wide shallow pan. After that, nearly as many variety of ingredients may be used as there are inspirations to be had. Paella is traditionally cooked in the open air over a hot crackling wood fire so that the dish can be infused with the smoke flavor. As the rice absorbs the cooking liquid, the rice in the bottom of the pan toasts to a crispy golden brown. This is called the socarrat and is one of the delights of paella. Our pan is stainless stell so it takes kindly to high heat and vigourous spoon and spatula technique for the best soccarat.

15 Paella Pan $18.95 Paella is a tasty rice dish, originally from Valencia, Spain. It is traditionally eaten on Sundays. The three basic ingredients are rice, saffron, and olive oil. Add meat and vegetables to suit your tastes and make the dish your own. Seafood is an especially big hit in paella. This durable paella pan is made of heavy-duty, 18-gauge metal with welded handles. In stock and ready to ship. Features: Create any number of delicious paella combinations. Made of heavy-duty, 18-gauge metal. Sturdy, welded handles. Specs: Dimensions: 15 W x 15 H x 2 1/2 D.

Command Performance 13 Paella Pan with Dome Lid