Brown paella rice and dry sun dried tomatoes?

runswithascript

I batch cooked paella for the first time a few weeks ago but could not find brown paella rice in Tesco or Lidl, so just used normal brown rice, and let it reduce for an extra 25 minutes or so. Do any of the big supermarkets sell it, or is there somewhere else in Dublin perhaps?

I searched and asked in the same two supermarkets yesterday for dry sun dried tomatoes for pesto, that is, the kind not in a jar, but they were also not being sold. I figure the dry version are less interfered with and healthier. Is there somewhere that stocks them?

Adini

Tesco sell (or at least used to sell) dried sun-dried tomatoes as part of their Tesco Ingredients range. Curious as to why you think they are "less interfered with or healthier" though? The version in jars are preserved in olive oil - they have the same nutritional value as the dried version once you drain off the oil (use kitchen roll to remove the oil)

I find the dried ones a pain as you have to rehydrate them first (only takes half an hour but still...)

Shenshen

I'm not sure (and please correct me if I'm wrong) but I don't think there is anything like brown Paella rice, same as there's no brown Arborio rice.
Both for Paella and a risotto you'd need a rice that releases starch easily and quickly, which is usually exactly what brown rice doesn't?

runswithascript

Adini wrote: »

Tesco sell (or at least used to sell) dried sun-dried tomatoes as part of their Tesco Ingredients range.

I will check and see if another one of the larger Tesco actually stocks them.

Adini wrote: »

Curious as to why you think they are "less interfered with or healthier" though? The version in jars are preserved in olive oil - they have the same nutritional value as the dried version once you drain off the oil (use kitchen roll to remove the oil)

Well apart from like mustard and mayonnaise, within reason, I try to avoid processed food and jars containing extra ingredients. For example, see the extra ingredients in the sun dried tomatoes jar below:

Shenshen wrote: »

I'm not sure (and please correct me if I'm wrong) but I don't think there is anything like brown Paella rice, same as there's no brown Arborio rice.
Both for Paella and a risotto you'd need a rice that releases starch easily and quickly, which is usually exactly what brown rice doesn't?

I will just have to stick with the brown rice so! Can you tell me the logic behind wanting the rice to release starch easily and quickly? Do you think the dish would turn out any better if I was to cook the rice or partially cook the rice separately before adding it to everything else?

Shenshen

runswithascript wrote: »

I will just have to stick with the brown rice so! Can you tell me the logic behind wanting the rice to release starch easily and quickly? Do you think the dish would turn out any better if I was to cook the rice or partially cook the rice separately before adding it to everything else?

Well, for both risotto and paella, you want the starch of the rice to thicken the dish, to make it nice and creamy tasting. That's the whole reason for cooking it in with everything else.

So if you don't want that, then yes, cooking the rice separately and mixing it with the other ingredients just at the end would get very similar results, I should think. But neither would give you a good paella.

runswithascript

Shenshen wrote: »

Well, for both risotto and paella, you want the starch of the rice to thicken the dish, to make it nice and creamy tasting. That's the whole reason for cooking it in with everything else.

So if you don't want that, then yes, cooking the rice separately and mixing it with the other ingredients just at the end would get very similar results, I should think. But neither would give you a good paella.

Thanks. The paella actually turned out quite well with the brown rice, and has the added benefit of slow release energy. I am happy with thickening the dish, the issue I have is that the rice was a bit soggy. I left it in longer because it is brown rice, but perhaps a bit too long, and maybe if I freeze the portions sooner I would get a better result.