1. Pan handling
If you don’t have a paella pan, use a 4cm-deep, medium-weight non-stick frying pan. It should be shallow and wide to allow moisture to evaporate quickly, and the base shouldn’t be too thick. If it’s too thick, the pan will retain too much heat and the food may overcook.
2. Feel the heat
Use a large hotplate or gas burner for even cooking. When it comes to cooking paella, gas or induction cooktops are usually better as they provide more even heat distribution.
3. Leave it be
In terms of the basic ingredients, paella is similar to a risotto. The main difference is paella doesn’t require constant stirring. In fact, it’s important not to stir it once the stock is added to ensure the delicious, light-golden crust, known as socarrat, forms on the base.
4. Take a turn
If the paella is cooking more on one side than the other, rotate the pan. This might be necessary when using an electric cooktop or if the element or burner is too small, in which case you may need to cook over two elements.
5. First base
The flavour base of the paella, sofrito is traditionally a mixture of onion, garlic and tomato. Make sure it’s well cooked to give the paella a rich flavour.
6. Flavour boost
Chorizo is a classic addition to any paella. So, even if the recipe doesn’t call for it, use it to give your rice colour and flavour early on, and add depth to the finished dish. Cook thinly sliced chorizo in oil in the pan, then use the oil to cook your sofrito.
7. Oil up
Paellas need to be cooked with a good amount of oil. The oil helps keep the starchy rice grains separate and carries the flavours of the sofrito through the dish.
8. Moisture metre
Add the final ladleful of stock to the paella in the last 5 minutes of cooking. This helps cook any last-minute ingredients – such as tomatoes and beans – and ensures the rice is moist but not wet.
9. Ready or not
To test whether the paella is cooked, use a spoon to taste a little rice from the edge of the pan – this rice will be cooked last as it’s the furthest away from the heat in the centre. When ready, the rice should be tender yet firm to the bite. If it’s not cooked, pour over a little more hot stock or boiling water.
10. Earning a crust
The socarrat is considered the tastiest part of the paella. To ensure you don’t miss out, use a large spoon to gently scrape it from the bottom of the pan.
