Meat Smoke Fire

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Paella

Paella

Paella on the Big Green Egg is simple but stunning. Authentic paella has a good crispy base ‘socarrat’ and the Spanish will fight over it and claim it it makes the dish perfect.

This paella recipe uses chicken but you can substitute with seafood, rabbit or seafood.  See our octopus and chorizo paella or pasta paella, Fidéua.

I can really recommend trying rabbit, it’s an authentic ingredient and tastes very similar to chicken. The supermarket Iceland stock rabbit in their exotic meats section for £5 a pack. Otherwise you can probably get whole rabbits from your butcher.

One ingredient you shouldn’t be using in paella is chorizo, just ask Jamie Oliver who was pulled up for his recipe. Personally if you want to add it, go for it, just don’t call it paella, we use it.

If you like your paella a little spicy then add some chilli peppers. Add wood chips or chunks if you like a deeper smoke than the charcoal will give it. I use hickory but add your own touch and try different woods.

Remember ‘if you’re looking it ain’t cooking’, always cook with your Big Green Egg lid shut and this applies here.

Paella on the Ofyr 75

Cooking surfaces

Cast Iron Grid
Cast Iron Grid

BBQ Temperature

200°C

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 standard sized cooking chorizo – cut into small pieces
  • 4-6 chicken thighs
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 2 cups of paella rice
  • 4 cups water
  • 2-3 tbsp concentrated liquid chicken stock (I use the Knorr bottles)
  • 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 1/2 cup of frozen peas
  • 1 red pepper, cubed

Equipment

Method

  1. Set up your Egg at 180°C for a direct cook with the stainless grid. If you like your paella smoky then add some wood chips or chunks to the charcoal, don’t go mad though and make it too smoky.
  2. In your paella pan or saucepan, fry off the chicken thighs and chorizo until the thighs have colour on them and the chorizo is starting to go crunchy.
  3. Add the garlic, onion and paprika and fry until the onion starts to turn translucent and soften.
  4. Pour in the paella rice and stir to coat with the oil. You need to cook it for about 2 or 3 minutes, the grains will start to turn translucent and crack.
  5. Mix the saffron, stock and water and pour over the chicken, rice and chorizo. Stir to level the rice.
  6. Leave the paella to cook without stirring, you want a crispy base to start forming on the bottom of the pan.
  7. After about 35 minutes add the red pepper and frozen peas to the top of the paella.
  8. Leave to cook for a further 5-7 minutes.
  9. Stir together and serve with wedges of lemon.  We like to cut up the lemons and add to the top of the paella at step 8 so they are soft and gooey.
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