cooking paella on a parilla (outdoor grill)

This summer I had the opportunity to cook paella on an outdoor parrilla. Check it out!

http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=8505052&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=01AAEA&fullscreen=1

Chef Daniel Cooks Paella with a Parrilla from Brian Staszel on Vimeo

My friend Paige had told me all about the new outdoor parrilla that she and her family had built in their backyard.

Paige’s brother had the whole family involved in the construction of this outdoor barbecue. He had learned about parrillas in Uruguay, where this barbecue method is so popular. Upon returning from this country he had to have his own parrilla.

After hearing about it, I immediately wanted to try it out. I decided that a paella would be a great dish to test the parrilla’s cooking abilities. Cooking over hot coals can be tricky, but in this case it worked out great. I had heat intense enough from the coals to brown the chicken and then I was able to spread the coals around to maintain the even heat needed for a perfect paella. Our friends marvelled at the sight of the stock gently boiling. Amazing how a few coals can pack so much heat.

I had a great time cooking on the parrilla, and everyone enjoyed the paella.