--- title: "Paella: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Paella is a Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide, shallow pan with saffron, stock and meat or seafood. See how to get the crisp bottom called socarrat." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/paella" --- # Paella Paella is a Spanish rice dish cooked in a wide, shallow pan with saffron, stock and meat or seafood. See how to get the crisp bottom called socarrat. Also called Paella valenciana, Seafood paella. Paella is a rice dish from Valencia, Spain. Short-grain rice is cooked in a wide, shallow pan with stock, [saffron](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/saffron) and other ingredients, such as chicken, rabbit, beans or seafood. Unlike [risotto](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/risotto), you do not stir it, so the rice stays in separate grains and forms a crisp, toasted layer on the bottom called _socarrat_. ## How to do it 1. Heat olive oil in a paella pan or wide [skillet](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/skillet) about 35 to 40 cm (14 to 16 inches) across for 4 people. 2. Brown the meat well on all sides. Push it to the edge. 3. Cook a [sofrito](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sofrito) of grated tomato, garlic and [smoked paprika](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smoked-paprika) in the middle until thick and dark. 4. Add hot [stock](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock) and saffron. Taste: it should be a little too salty, because the rice absorbs it. 5. Scatter in short-grain rice, such as bomba, in an even layer. A thin layer, about 1 to 2 cm (½ inch), is right. Use roughly 3 parts stock to 1 part rice by volume. 6. Do not stir from now on. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the heat for 8 to 10 minutes more. Add seafood in the last minutes. 7. Turn the heat up for the last 1 to 2 minutes to form the socarrat. 8. Take it off the heat, cover with a cloth, and rest for 5 minutes. ## How to tell it is done The liquid is gone and the rice is tender with a slight bite. You hear a gentle crackle and smell toasting rice, not burning. A spoon scraped at the bottom finds a crisp, golden crust. ## Common mistakes * Stirring. It releases starch and the paella turns creamy. * A deep pan. The rice cooks unevenly and no crust forms. * Long-grain rice. It does not absorb enough flavor. * Burning the bottom. Stop as soon as it smells toasty. ## In recipes _Paella valenciana_ is the traditional version with chicken, rabbit and green beans. Seafood paella (_paella de marisco_) and mixed paella are common elsewhere. _Arroz negro_ is colored with squid ink. Recipes that say "paella rice" mean a short, round grain that absorbs a lot of liquid. ## Paella recipes 2 recipes from the sites we collect. * [![](https://www.skinnytaste.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Weeknight-Paella-6.jpg)Seafood Paella Recipewww.skinnytaste.com · 45 min](https://www.skinnytaste.com/weeknight-seafood-paella/) * [![](https://www.onceuponachef.com/images/2022/11/20200914_SEGAL_JM0728-1200x1500.jpg)Spanish Paellawww.onceuponachef.com · 105 min](https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/paella.html) ## Related terms * [SaffronSaffron is the dried stigma of a crocus flower and the world's priciest spice. How to bloom it for paella, risotto and Swedish saffron buns.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/saffron) * [SofritoSofrito is a cooked base of onion, garlic, peppers and often tomato used across Spanish, Latin American and Caribbean cooking for rice, beans and stews.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/sofrito) * [RisottoRisotto is Italian rice cooked by adding hot stock a little at a time while stirring, until creamy but with a bite. See the ratio and the finishing step.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/risotto) * [PilafPilaf is rice toasted in fat, then cooked in seasoned stock so every grain stays separate and fluffy. See the ratio, the timing and why you should rest it.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/pilaf) * [Smoked paprikaSmoked paprika is ground red pepper dried over oak fires, like Spanish pimentón de la Vera. It gives a smoky flavor to chorizo, paella and stews.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/smoked-paprika) * [StockStock is an unsalted liquid made by simmering bones, vegetables and aromatics in water for hours. It is the base of soups, sauces, gravy and risotto.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stock) [More in dishes](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/dishes)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)