In a phase of " what was I thinking when I bought this". On impulse, I purchased a Magafesa 15 inch paella pan, supposedly made of carbon steel. It is very light,more like aluminum in weight, and nowhere near as heavy as my Debuyer CS pan with the Eiffel Tower handle that I bought a few years ago.
Can the pan be used for other things besides paella? I was considering using it as a backup braiser for ribs and such, searing meat, or as a griddle for pancakes. I generally cook for 3-5 people, the 15 inch makes 8 servings. I like having extra room in a pan to flip food over with no crowding, plus a small amount of leftovers for the next day. I am undecided as to keep it or return it. Thoughts? Thank you!!
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It will cook in the oven, on the grill, and over a fire just fine.
I think you’d be disappointed with it on the stovetop, unless you have unusually large and even burners. OTOH, if you like paella, you might consider buying a specialty double gas ring, which would make it more versatile to also use as a griddle–they’re pretty affordable.
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Agreed. On my stovetop, the biggest pan I can heat evenly is 12". So a 15" pan will not heat evenly, especially if it is thin. So searing or gridling will be uneven. You could braise in it, but if it doesn’t have a lid you’ll be limited.
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Gigantic crepes?
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I use mine in a couple of different ways besides Paella. It’s great for making nachos for a crowd, and I also use it for a very big, layered Tex Mex dip for large gatherings. I stick tortillas around the edge of it, and it looks great. Also, put some salsa or dip in the middle in a bowl, put chips around it. It’s really a versatile piece of kitchenware.
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I could also envision it being used for oysters on the half shell on a bed of ice, again, with cocktail sauce (or whatever) in a bowl in the middle. Same for peel and eat shrimp, etc.
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I made a gignormous chocolate chip cookie in mine. It was the perfect size for a birthday cookie cake. I wonder if a giant Dutch Baby could be made in one.
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Probably could, also one of those Chocolate Texas Sheet-cakes would probably work too.
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I’d worry about a soggy cake bottom with the dimples in the bottom of the pan.
Valid worry, but the ones I’m thinking of use a shallower layer of batter than traditional cakes. Not something I’d plan to serve or take somewhere, without experimenting though. But just thought of this - one of those fruit pizzas with the cookie crusts would probably work well, and look cool too, while serving a lot of people.
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The traditional paella pan is supposed to be a little thin - just needs some extra tlc from the chef to not overcook anything. As a result I would not use it for anything that needs to be cooked for a long time, like a braise, but tortillas and such as mentioned would be great.
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or giant tarte tatin
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Yes, that would work…sounds like spring!
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I would make a giant pancake.
Or several regular sized ones.
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Great question. My paella pan is a one trick pony for me as well.
I never thought of it as a serving platter! (Nachos/etc), great idea.
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To enter into the next scorchprint discussion?
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I recommend making paella more often. There are several varieties to try. And there’s a nuance to getting the crispy rice bottom right. Practice makes perfect. I go through periods of making paella and when I do I’ll make it weekly for a few weeks in a row, usually for guests. Then I might go a year without making any. It’s a beautiful dish that says comfort food like no other. The non-seafood versions are also super delicious. I’ve even heard of a Korean version served at Cote, and I can imagine a vegetarian recipe with minced sautéed cabbage, onions and tomato paste.
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Totally. Paella is a great example of something that may be best contracted out, similar to pizza parties. Luckily for me, I have a client with a mobile paella business, and frequent another place that brings in a different paella operator once a month.
I have a similar pan. The aspect that makes it such a one trick pony, the thin carbon steel, actually makes it ideal for producing soccorat. It is, in effect, a round sheet pan. So I would think it would be fine for any of the jobs for which I use sheet pans, things like roasting chickens or vegetables.
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