Match pan and burner
A big pan needs a burner that heats it evenly, or the middle cooks and the edges don’t. Paella burners with several rings are made for this. Test your set-up before the day.
Cook in order
- Brown the meat in olive oil.
- Add vegetables, then garlic and grated tomato for the sofrito.
- Add paprika, then the stock and saffron, and bring it to the boil.
- Scatter the rice evenly across the pan.
- Leave it alone: no stirring.
- Add seafood on top part-way through if using.
- Turn the heat up briefly at the end for the socarrat.
- Rest it off the heat for a few minutes, covered with a cloth.
Common mistakes
- Too much rice for the pan, making a thick layer that cooks unevenly
- Stirring after the rice goes in
- Not enough heat at the edges
- Running out of hot stock
Safety
Set up on level, non-flammable ground, well away from fences, hedges and branches, with a fire extinguisher nearby. Keep children well back from the burner.
Prep ahead
Chop vegetables, joint and season the meat, clean the seafood and make the stock the day before or in the morning. On the day, you’ll be cooking, not chopping.
Keep the stock hot
Have the stock simmering in a separate pot so it goes into the pan hot. Cold stock slows the cooking and makes the rice uneven.
Resting and serving
Let the paella rest for a few minutes off the heat, covered with a clean cloth, before serving. It finishes cooking and the flavours settle.
Timing the day
Work backwards from when you want to eat. The rice takes around 20 minutes once it goes in, plus a few minutes’ rest. Before that, you need time to heat the pan, brown the meat, make the sofrito and bring the stock to the boil, which can take longer in a big pan. Start earlier than you think you need to.
Have a helper to fetch, carry and keep an eye on children and pets while you cook.
Or let us do it
If you’d rather enjoy the party, book us.
Planning an event? Tell us about it and we’ll suggest a menu and send a quote.