Mastering Paella: Tips & Tricks

Remember, It's All About the Rice!

The secret to a fantastic paella is simple: infuse the rice with all the rich flavours from your stock and ingredients. A true paella lover knows it's a success when your guests devour the rice and leave the rest behind! Avoid overloading your paella with too many extras; they often distract from the star of the show – the flavourful rice.

Choose the Right Rice

Paella is a rice dish, so getting the right rice is crucial, so don't skimp on this!. Our Bahia Paella rice from Valencia, or our Maratelli rice from Navarra (which is more forgiving) is perfect. For an extra special touch, try Bomba rice. It absorbs three times its volume in liquid without falling apart, making your paella extraordinarily flavourful. Though pricier, it's worth every penny! Plan for about 100g of rice per person.

Pick the Perfect Paella Pan

The size of your paella pan matters. A good paella should be dry and not deep. As a rule, your paella should be less than 1cm deep and definitely shouldn't be deeper than the rivets on the pan's handles . A common error of beginner paella chefs is to overfill the pan with rice.  Check out our pan serving guide for more details, and remember, your guests will want seconds!

Use the Right Heat Source

Traditionally, paella is cooked over an open fire, but our outdoor paella gas burners offer a convenient alternative. They heat the entire pan evenly, making them perfect for large pans. Smaller pans can be used indoors on a gas hob. Electric hobs aren't ideal for traditional paella pans due to their dished profile, but our sandwich base paella pans work well on electric cookers.

Cooking Techniques

Before You Start

Ensure your paella pan is level and have all your ingredients ready. Prepare your stock (chicken and vegetable stock works well) and keep it hot. For Bomba rice, use three times the volume of rice in stock; for regular paella rice, use twice the volume.

Fry the Chicken

Use chicken pieces with skin and bone, frying them in the centre of the pan until browned. Then, push them to the edge while you prepare the sofrito.

Make the Sofrito

This tomato paste is crucial and is an essential part of any paella. Fry a few chopped onions, then add either grated tomatoes or tinned tomatoes and reduce to a thick, dark red paste. Keep stirring to prevent burning. alternatively you could use our tomato frito, which removes this stage.

Add Other Ingredients

Mix the sofrito with the chicken, add sweet paprika, chorizo if you like, and green beans. In Valencia, they also add white beans called 'garafon', but good tinned butter beans work well.

Add the Stock

Pour the exact amount of stock into the pan, along with saffron. Note the liquid level, add more water, and boil until reduced to the original level. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Your want the stock on the salty side

Add the Rice

Sprinkle the rice evenly in the pan, ensuring it's below the liquid level. DO NOT STIR. Boil for about 10 minutes, then simmer for another 10 until the liquid is absorbed.

Create the Socorat

Turn the heat up high for a minute until the rice starts to "pop." Then, turn off the heat. The caramelised rice at the bottom is a prized part of the paella.

Let It Rest

Cover the paella tightly with foil or newspaper and let it rest for at least 10 minutes. This is a good time to add pre-cooked prawns and mussels if you're using them.

Serve and Enjoy

Bring your paella to the table and serve, making sure to scrape the bottom to get the delicious socorat. Enjoy your culinary masterpiece!