Paella pan tips/help

[Chasing_smoke]

I found an 18" paella pan for $15 today at tj max. I haven't cooked in one before, I have read that it will need to be seasoned with a light coat of oil. I assume it would be ok to cook fried rice paella, risotto or anything really. I bought it mainly for fried rice because I thought I read someone here was using it for that. 

It's probably going to stick like crazy on the first cook. But I'm going to give it a shot tonight.

Any tips on what to cook in it or how to keep it semi non stick?

Thanks for any help!
Michael


 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[Peaspurple]

Good score. I bet it is the same one I got from marshals. I suggest not to cook to hot the first time and use plenty of oil. It'll be great.

Pics please??

[Chasing_smoke]

I'm thinking maybe 1/2 a chimney of coals on my 18" red 3 wheeler. Here's some pics I haven't done anything to it yet.

Thanks for the tip peas! I'll use some extra oil for sure.










 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[Chasing_smoke]

I'll have to double check, that photo on the 18 looks like its sealed but I thought there was a gap to vent with.


 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[landgraftj]

I think Duke or PBE Gummi have had success with paella pans...maybe MSG them.

[mike.stavlund]

My paella pan has a porcelain coating, so I'm not much help with how to season yours. 

I also had some concerns looking at the photo of it on an 18.  Looks like the pan might choke out the air flow.  I use mine on a 22 with a good pile of coals right in the middle and it gives really even heat. 

...and I'm certainly not gonna tell the Chef how to cook, but a normal paella recipe relies on a fair bit of fat (from olive oil, and the chicken pieces that start the dish) along with a lot of water (or stock, if you're smart) to keep things from burning.  And the end result is *supposed* to be a bit dry and crunchy, at least at the bottom of the pan.  The art of it is to have your last dosing of stock coincide with the rice just finishing the cook, leaving a slightly dry pan for a nice crust on the bottom of the rice.

Good luck!

[Chasing_smoke]

Well first cook wasn't too bad, I made fried rice. I started in the smokey joe platinum since it was a tad wider giving me about 1/2 inch of ventilation. But it ultimately kept the heat too low. I moved it to the OTG to finish, could use much more fire next round. It didn't stick that bad at all and was a pleasure to cook on such a big surface. All in all not a bad $15 investment to change things up.




 "my kettle is more powerful it will do almost anything."

[addicted-to-smoke]

Interesting. Looks like it's better suited to a 22" however for the reasons mike stated. gummi or someone used a 16" I think on a 18" grill. Can't quibble about the price tho.

[Craig]

Your "Duke Wok" looks like a bigger version of mine. Same red handles and all. The one I have fits my smokey joes the same way yours sits in your 18. I made the fried rice in mine on the first cook. I had pre-seasoned it with veg oil then added another 2 teaspoons for the fried rice and egg rolls I did. I love it so much, I've done breakfast on it, browned meat for tacos on the grill (side note I use the elevated warming rack for the the shells) all on my kettles. I always wash it immediately after each use, recoat it with some veg or olive oil before putting away. The best thing about it is if you set up for indirect cooking, you can move the pan around to control temps like you would on a stove.