How is paella made, and what is socarrat?
Fry the meat in olive oil until golden, then the vegetables, tomato and paprika; add water and let it boil; only then throw in the rice, in the shape of a cross, and never stir it. The rice must end up dry and loose, never soupy; the socarrat is the toasted rice stuck to the pan, the best part.
How it is made
- sofreír Fry the meat In olive oil until golden; then the vegetables, the tomato and the paprika.
- el agua Add the water Let it boil for a while.
- el arroz Throw in the rice Only then, in the shape of a cross — and do not touch it again. Stirring the rice is the second crime.
- seco y suelto Let it dry The rice must end up dry and loose, never soupy like a risotto.
- el socarrat Fight over the bottom The best part is the socarrat, the layer of toasted rice stuck to the pan.
- The meat is fried first, then the vegetables, tomato and paprika; water is added and only then the rice, which is not touched again.
- The rice should be dry and loose, never soupy like a risotto. The socarrat, the toasted layer at the bottom, is the part diners fight over.
- Paella is the name of the pan: the wide, shallow pan with two handles. Valencians say un arroz when they mean the dish.
Se añade el agua, se deja hervir un rato, y solo entonces se echa el arroz, en forma de cruz, y no se toca más.The water is added, it is left to boil for a while, and only then is the rice thrown in, in the shape of a cross, and not touched again.
Es importante que el arroz quede seco y suelto, nunca caldoso como un risotto.It is important that the rice ends up dry and loose, never soupy like a risotto.