I wanted paella... and I was almost out of charcoal...
But I had frozen peas! I also had some frozen shrimp and scallops that I'd discovered in the back of the freezer! (This is not always a good idea... but I was lucky and they were fine.) I also had a chicken breast and some Andouille!
So I decided to try actual real live wood to augment my meager stash of charcoal. This produced absolutely delicious results and a wildly blackened paella pan. (I learned that I know absolutely nothing about adding wood to a Weber grill... and I lived to tell it!!!)
I start grilled paella on the stove, while the coals are getting hot.
I begin by browning thick slices of sausage... often hot Italian, this time Andouille... in EVOO, and then adding a bit of smoked paprika. In the same pan, I toast some short-grain Arborio- style rice in a bit more EVOO...
Next I add garlic and chicken stock (about 2-3C stock for 1C rice) and a bit of salt and pepper. Once this combo starts bubbling away, I move to the grill.
Today I added two Small (or at least I thought they were Small) pieces of wood to the coals. I nestled large cubes of chicken breast into the rice...
Now. Here's where I would normally just let it cook gently until the rice was almost done but, all of a sudden, The Logs Caught Fire...
And all Hell broke loose...
But I remained moderately calm, removed the lid, and let the flame die out on its own.
About 5 minutes before the rice was done, I added the peas and the seafood. I also like a tiny bit of fresh rosemary. This is also a good time to check for salt and pepper.
When the seafood was Just Done, I removed my once beautiful and shiny pan... now blackened beyond belief, but beautiful in a totally new way. I squeezed a fair amount of lemon juice over the dish...
And we sat down to dinner, grateful that I hadn't set the yard, the house, and the surrounding woods afire.
Will I use real wood in the grill again? Yes! Will I do it without reading up on the whole idea? Not on your life.
But the paella was really pretty tasty...