I have this love affair with paella that makes no sense. I rarely ever order it at a restaurant, and can count the number of times I’ve made it on two fingers. Still, though, I find myself stock a range of paella pans, paella ingredients, and this week, even an expensive setup that will allow you to make paella at the beach.
What’s the deal? I do love the dish, so why don’t I ever pursue it? Actually, the answer can be summed up in one word: soccarat. Soccarat is the layer of carmelized rice that forms along the bottom of a paella pan when someone who truly knows what they’re doing is at the helm. The problem is that there are so few true paella commodores that what you usually end up with in just a bowl of tomatoes, seafood, and expensive rice.
So few people, especially American restaurant cooks, can make a decent paella that I’ve developed a complex about it. I know it’s silly, and the few times I’ve taken the time to make the dish, I’ve actually ended up with a beautiful soccarat that surprised even me. But I can’t help but feel like I’ve just had beginner’s luck, like the first few times I made amazing risotto, only to suffer a dry spell of sticky, mushy rice because I [apparently] got too cocky with my technique. And once you develop a bad habit, well, we all know how hard those are to break.
What am I saying? I’m saying I need to get off my duff, put away my soccarat anxiety, and make some freaking paella. Maybe I’m just using you all to bear witness and hold me to overcoming my ridiculous fear. 
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I wonder if soccarat can also refer to the crusty rice that you get in the bottom of a dol sot bi bim bop bowl.
I’ve never made bi bim bop, but I’ve had it in restaurants. Does the rice sit in the bottom of the pan without getting stirred up during cooking?
We just had paella at one of our Gourmet Club dinner parties and I can tell you that although the seafood was wonderful, the rice was not as you described. Seems like I order it quite often… hoping for a chef that can produce an amazing paella. As you mentioned- that rarely happens!
Isn’t it sad? Is Spain it’s an embarrassment to serve paella with no soccarat!
After decades of eating paella all over Spain, I’d like to expose the soccarat as a recent affectation that is far from being authentic. No self-respecting Spanish cook would serve burnt rice to a guest. Sure, rice occasionally sticks to the bottom of the paella but it would never finish up on someone’s plate.
Really? I’ll have to do some digging. Are you sure? The socarrat isn’t burnt – it’s just crispy.