Smoky Campfire Paella

Name: Smoky Campfire Paella | Lodge Cast Iron
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Yield: 8 - 10
Ingredients: 3 cups of chicken stock; 1 cup of water; 1 teaspoon of saffron; 3 of chicken thighs, diced; 2 of links of chorizo, sliced; 3 of slices of bacon, chopped; ½ of pound of shrimp, de-veined; 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter, divided; 1 cup of diced onion; 4 of garlic cloves, minced, divided; 1 cup of diced red bell peppers; 1 of can peas; 1 cup of diced cherry tomatoes; 3 cups of paella rice; of Salt and pepper to taste; 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika; 1 cup of white wine; 2 of whole lobster tails, halved; 1 cup of chopped parsley, divided; ½ of pound of mussels, de-bearded; 4 of lemon wedges

Derek Wolf | October 3, 2018

The wok part of the Cook-It-All makes a great vessel for campfire paella: it has the depth to hold all the ingredients, but still allows you to get the crust a classic paella is known for. "The two separate cooking pieces make this complicated dish super easy, " says Derek Wolf, of Over the Fire Cooking.

Level

Intermediate

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

60 minutes

Serves

8-10

Cook it With Our

Cast Iron Cook-It-All

Ingredients

3 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 teaspoon saffron
3 chicken thighs, diced
2 links of chorizo, sliced
3 slices of bacon, chopped
½ pound of shrimp, de-veined
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 cup diced onion
4 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 cup diced red bell peppers
1 can peas
1 cup diced cherry tomatoes
3 cups paella rice
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 cup white wine
2 whole lobster tails, halved
1 cup chopped parsley, divided
½ pound of mussels, de-bearded
4 lemon wedges

Directions

Create a medium size fire to fit the Cook-It-All, separated into the wok side and the lid piece. When fire begins to start breaking down (wood becomes white hot), add wok to preheat for 2-3 minutes.
In a bowl, add chicken stock, water, and saffron and let soak for 10 minutes.
Add chicken, chorizo, & bacon to wok and cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp to grill and cook for 1 minute per side. Once meat is cooked, pull off and set aside.
Add 2 tablespoons butter to empty wok, then sauté onions, ¾ of the garlic, & bell peppers till they soften (about 3-4 minutes). Add peas, tomatoes & paella rice and stir often in order to let rice toast (2-3 minutes). Finally, add chicken stock mixture from above, chorizo, chicken, bacon, salt, pepper, smoked paprika & white wine and let simmer uncovered. Cook out all the liquid, stirring occasionally only at the beginning and let sit in order to create crust. *NOTE: Make sure to cook this at a medium heat in order to prevent burning.
While paella is cooking, preheat grill over fire and place lobster tails on flesh side down. Cook for 2 minutes per side or until flesh it completely white. Add 1 tablespoon butter, remaining garlic, and parsley on top of lobster for added flavor if desired.
As paella is finishing, top it with mussels, lemon wedges, shrimp, and lobster tails. Place other half of the Cook-It-All grill-side-up on top and let cook for 2 minutes.
Pull grill plate off, discard any unopened mussels, garnish with parsley, squeeze any leftover lemons on top and serve!

Contributed By: Derek Wolf

Derek Wolf is an open fire cooking enthusiast and founder of the brand Over the Fire Cooking. His mission is to bring fire, food, and people together and answer the question: "How can we make simple and delicious food over an open fire?"

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