Socarrat
The crackly, caramelized layer of rice stuck to the bottom of a paella pan. The bit most diners reach for first.
Socarrat is what happens in the last few minutes of cooking a paella. The bottom layer of rice sits against the hot pan, the liquid boils off, and the grains toast into a thin golden crust. A cook who gets it right scrapes it up with a spoon and shares it round. A cook who gets it wrong has either burned the pan or pulled the paella too early. No socarrat, no real paella.
How it's served
Loosened from the pan with a spoon at the end of the meal and pulled into bites by hand or fork. Most paella eaters consider it the best part of the dish.
Regional variation
Pronunciation and spelling vary slightly between Valencian (the canonical socarrat) and Catalan kitchens, but the technique and the reverence are the same across the rice-growing belt from Valencia up to the Ebro delta.
- Origin
- Valencia, Spain
- Etymology
- From the Valencian-Catalan verb socarrar, 'to scorch lightly'.
Where to try it in Barcelona
One restaurant on Guidavera mentions socarrat in their kitchen description.
Frequently asked
What does socarrat mean?
Socarrat is the toasted layer of rice that forms at the bottom of a paella pan during the last minutes of cooking. The word comes from the Valencian verb socarrar, 'to scorch lightly,' and a well-made paella always has one.
Is burnt rice the same as socarrat?
No. Socarrat is rice toasted to a deep golden brown against a hot pan, still tasting nutty and crisp. Burnt rice tastes bitter and acrid. Cooks listen for a faint crackle and pull the pan off the heat the second it sounds right.
How do you get socarrat at home?
Cook the paella over consistent medium-high heat, don't stir the rice once the stock goes in, and crank the heat for the last 90 seconds. You'll hear a soft crackle when the bottom starts to caramelize.
Related terms
- PaellaValencian rice dish cooked in a wide flat pan over fire. The original is chicken, rabbit, snails and beans, not seafood.
- FideuàA Valencian paella made with short, hollow noodles instead of rice. Comes with allioli on the side.
- AllioliPungent Catalan emulsion of garlic and olive oil. Traditionally no egg. Eaten with grilled meats, paella and fish.
- Arròs brutMallorcan 'dirty rice': a brothy rice stew with rabbit, chicken or game, sobrasada, vegetables and saffron. Winter staple, eaten in a deep bowl with a spoon.
- Arròs negreJet-black rice cooked paella-style in a wide flat pan with squid, cuttlefish and the squid's own ink. Served with allioli on the side.