Paella Problems - Again!

[Baby_Sham]

Ok, so I make 'Paella' quite often, but I'm clearly doing something wrong.
Whenever I've had it out, in a restaurant, it's not been soggy but almost dry, unlike mine :-/

I'm cooking the chicken and chorizo, then adding peppers and onions, and then peas.
Once that's cooked I add paella rice, stir it, and then add a large amount (just to cover the rice) of stock.

I let this simmer away, but it gets to the point where it's sticking and the water runs dry, so I add more... which results in a nice, but very 'wet' paella.

What can I do to improve this?

[boxtops]

I don't put that much liquid in, but watching the chef demoing making it on holiday, he put in very little liquid but then put a lid on the pan for five minutes to let the rice absorb the hot liquid.

[Baby_Sham]

Hmm. I'm making it in a wok, just because that's the biggest pan I have available.
I'm literally covering the rice, and then topping it up when it does dry (to stop it sticking and burning).

[Eve]

Could you pop it in the oven to finish it off a bit, dry up some of the wetness? Depends on the pan you use and you oven I guess though.

[boxtops]

Perhaps your wok is too hot? We have an electric wok, as I say we don't add very much liquid at all, and from now on I'll be putting the lid back on!

[Eve]

You might be better in a flatter pan for more even cooking, wok cooking is meant for quick stir fry type cooking whereas paella rice shouldn't be stirred while cooking so you may not be getting an even heat or dispersal of liquid to the dish.

[Baby_Sham]

See, we have someone coming over Friday night and I'd planned to cook this (again) but I'm worried about the wetness of it all.
Hmm. I'll try the oven idea, which is a very good idea actually, but also maybe turning down the heat.

[gingejbee]

It's almost certainly the wok- paella should be cooked in a large shallow pan, and shouldn't be stirred at all.

[Baby_Sham]

Ok, so I'll change the pan. But what about the stock? Should I be letting it evaporate, or should I keep topping it up when it starts to 'stick'?

Is it just me or is it difficult? (be honest) :-)

[nungate]

It could be the variety of rice you are using - some varieties of rice are more absorbent than others. If you can find Spanish rice you might have more success, and maybe a paella pan would be a better option than a wok as paella is usually made in a wide shallow pan

[boxtops]

It shouldn't stick if the heat is even across the bottom of the whole pan - and the rice shouldn't be a thick layer.

[Baby_Sham]

Right. I think I'm going wrong on more than one aspect here then.
Wok needs to be changed to a pan and the heat needs to be turned down.

I'll have to test this out before Friday, so I'll be back if I still can't get it right... and we'll all end up down the chippy on Friday night! :-)

Thanks x

[boxtops]

OK, this is a fish recipe, but the principle is still the same re rice and water.... http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/southern_paella_74277

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks very muchly.

Yeah, maybe I do need to just follow a recipe :-)

[Buenchico]

The easy way to do it is to cook the rice first (in a saucepan with a lid on it), using just enough water/stock so that all of the water has evaporated just as the rice is ready. Then throw the rice into a frying pan with a little olive oil and add the other ingredients.

Of course, using the right type of rice to start with helps a lot. If you can afford it (and find it in the shops), use Bomba rice. Otherwise seek out a good short grain rice, such as Senia, Bahia or Calasparra. If you use a long-grain rice (of the type that you'd use for a curry or risotto) you've no chance of getting a good result with paella.

[Baby_Sham]

Buenchico, you genius!!! :-)

Great idea. Thanks. X

[boxtops]

Go on, swap Chris for best answer, baby_sham, his is better than mine :-)

[Baby_Sham]

Ha! The thought was there Box, but I could never do that! :-) x

[diddlydo]

Buenchico - normally you have good advice but in this case you're talking rubbish! Curry rice (basmati) and risotto rice are completely different. Paella rice is not like either of those.

[Baby_Sham]

Well, that told you Buen! :P

[hc4361]

Cook rice on its own for a paella? Never, ever, ever.

My paella comes out very well when I cook it in the slow cooker.