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How to make Paella on a Paella Burner

April 29, 2015 By Joe 9 Comments

joes Paella

Joe’s Paella for 12

I have been making Paella for many years. Today I am making a Paella for 12 people. I will be cooking the Paella outdoors on my Paella Burner. My Paella pan is 21 inches in diameter measuring from the top edge of the pan. This size pan should feed between 8 and 12. It is my experience that the amount of rice plus other ingredients always feeds more people than indicated. I bet when we are all said and done for this group I will have plenty left over. Here is how to make Paella, step by step.

How to make Paella on a Paella burner

Figuring out the exact liquid needed must be accurate. You blow your ratio of liquid to rice and the Paella dish is not likely to be pleasing to your crowd. I use Spanish Bomba rice. Figure one third cup of Bomba rice per person. Bomba rice requires three times the amount of water. This means for every person I need one cup of liquid to go with the 1/3 cup rice. I need to measure out 12 cups of chicken broth for this dinner.  Other Spanish rice for Paella, like Valencia, uses a 1/2 cup of rice to a cup of water per person.

I make a sofrito for the Paella a day or more before. It takes two hours to make a good sofrito. There are plenty of sofrito recipes on the Web. I use one that I found in César’s Cookbook: César: Recipes from a Tapas Bar. It calls for four white onions, four cups of diced tomatoes, 4 garlic cloves, and a teaspoon of saffron. Caramelize the onion in 1/4 cup of olive oil for one hour using low heat. Add chopped garlic and cook another 15 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and saffron, cook another 1 hour. This makes two to three cups. I freeze whatever I do not use. A Spanish chef once told me that the sofrito is the key to a fragrant Paella.

The Ingredients for a Paella party of twelve

  • 24 chicken drumettes*
  • 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 whole garlic bulbs, unpeeled
  • 6 Spanish chorizo sausages, sliced across 1/4 inch thick
  • 4 cups of Bomba rice
  • 1 cup of sofrito
  • 12 cups of chicken broth
  • 2 TBS smoked paprika
  • 2 TBS salt
  • 36 jumbo shrimp
  • 36 clams
  • 36 mussels
  • 1 medium bag frozen peas
  • 2 cups of artichoke hearts, rinse.
  • 1 jar of Piquillo pepper, sliced long about 1/3 of inch for garnish
  • 3 lemons quarterd for garnish and squeezing on servings

* My local meat shop special orders a meaty size drumette for us. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  I cook the drummettes in the oven on a cookie sheet for 30 minutes at 375. They will finish cooking in the Paella.

Method

  • Prepare sofrito one day ahead
  • Heat broth in separate pot and add the paprika to broth
  • Pour olive oil over the whole surface of Paella pan
  • Add garlic to the pan
  • Saute chorizo for 2 to 3 minutes
  • Add rice and mix with chorizo and oil
  • Add the sofrito, mix with the rice, spread over the pan
  • Add the salt
  • Add the hot broth
  • Add chicken in a circular arrangement around the pan
  • Bring broth to a boil and then turn to a hard simmer – no stirring after this point
  • When rice begins to swell, tuck in clams and mussels
  • Add peas and artichokes
  • Lay shrimp around and push down slightly
  • Turn over the shrimp when the top side turns color
  • When rice is done, garnish with the Piquillo peppers and lemons
  • Let Paella sit for ten minutes before serving

Paella burner wind shield

Strong winds or a breeze with blow out the flame on your Paella burner. On a windy day, you must have a wind shield for your Paella Burner.

You can buy these on the Web but it is just as easy to make your own. I purchased the flashing in the photo below at Home Depot. I used duct tape to attach the flashing metal to the Paella burner. Total cost $20.

Paella wind protector

Home made Paella wind protector or shield

 

Back of Paella burner with homemade wind shield

Back of Paella burner with homemade wind shield

As you can observe, nothing fancy but it works and costs just a few dollars to make.

Filed Under: Spanish foods Tagged With: Bomba rice, paella burner, Paella pan, Paella wind shield, Piquillo peppers, Sofrito

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Comments

  1. LB says

    September 19, 2015 at 8:47 pm

    I have been making paella using our propane grill and tomorrow will be the first time I’m using a paella burner. On the grill, my recipe calls for me to cover(put grill top down) for cooking during various steps..

    When using a paella burner, should I be covering it with say, aluminum foil, while it cooks or leave it open air?

    Reply
    • Joe says

      September 19, 2015 at 8:56 pm

      We always leave it open to the air. We let rest 10 minutes uncovered when done and it is plenty hot when serving. Have fun.

      Reply
  2. LB says

    September 19, 2015 at 9:18 pm

    Thank you so much for your help Joe!

    Reply
  3. Tom Reed says

    April 6, 2017 at 8:27 pm

    What size flashing did you use? Is it possible to see a photo of the back side?

    Reply
    • Joe says

      April 6, 2017 at 10:33 pm

      I used a six-inch wide flashing. I will send you a photo to your email address.
      Joe

      Reply
  4. Miguel Householder Gallardo says

    April 16, 2017 at 10:41 pm

    I have a burner and need to make the windshield also. Could you please post a detail list of needed materials and how to make it or attach it to the burner.

    Reply
    • Joe says

      April 17, 2017 at 1:46 am

      I used only two materials: Six-inch flashing I purchased at Home Depot and sheet metal tape. I also used a pair of tin snips to cut out sheet metal to fit around the burner arms. It is nothing fancy but it works. I will post a photo in the above post.
      Joe

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Atteca 2013 says:
    August 23, 2016 at 5:34 pm

    […] We had a delicious meat sausage with this wine and it was a perfect pairing. I also would serve the Atteca with a seafood Paella. The spices of Paprika and Saffron make this wine shine even more. Here is a great recipe for Paella. […]

    Reply
  2. Paella in Spain Made in Many Cooking Styles - Spanish Wine Country says:
    February 8, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    […] How to use a Paella Burner […]

    Reply

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