From Sushi to Smash Burgers to Spanish cuisine, Chef Ricky Yap describes himself as a “student of all types of food.” That’s clear by his diverse set of entrepreneurial projects, including consulting, virtual cooking classes, pop ups, and, our favorite, the Great Frontier Cookoff, where Chef Yap teaches open-flame cooking at outdoorsman’s events across the state of California.
Requiring a delicate balance of direct and ambient heat, layers of ingredients, and the crisp “socarrat” brought on by a good carbon steel pan, paella is a complex and rewarding dish for open-fire cooking.
Equipped with a Santa Maria grill and a full complement of Matfer Bourgeat Black Carbon Steel Paella Pans, Chef Yap brought the basics of the perfect campfire paella to 5 teams of hungry “Overlanders” at the Pure 4×4 event, just outside of Sacramento, California.
We’ll let the photos speak for themselves.
Matfer Bourgeat Black Steel Paella Pans, Serving Spoons, Protection Mitts, Tongs, and Flat-Bottomed Mixing Bowls got out of the kitchen and into the great outdoors.
Matfer’s Black Carbon Steel Paella Pans’ thick steel body retains and distributes the heat of the strong open flame.
Chef Yap led teams through a friendly competition to see who could execute the best dish. When there’s this much paella around, everyone wins.
