UTENSILS

THE PAELLA PAN

The iconic rice dish paella is named for the pan in which it is cooked. (In Catalan and Valencian, paella means “pan.” The word derives from the Latin patella.) The wide, flat, and thin pan allows for the rice to cook evenly without stirring, the liquid to better evaporate, and for as much as possible of the rice to come in contact with the flavors in the bottom of the pan. The depth of the finished rice remains roughly the same (no more than ¾ inch/2 cm) no matter how many people the dish serves—the pan just gets wider. And wider.

Pan sizes range from the not-that-small to the gigantic, though the most common, and useful, sizes are 14 inches/36 cm for 3 to 4 people, 16 inches/40 cm for 4 to 6, 18 inches/45 cm for 6, and 20 inches/50 cm for 8. Note that the serving recommendations listed on most pans is woefully understated. A pan that says “Serves 6” on the packaging is more likely to serve closer to 3 or 4.

The most typical (and least expensive) paella pan is made of polished carbon steel, which quickly responds to the changes in heat. When the pan is removed from the heat, the rice stops cooking, which is exactly what you want to happen. (This pan also gives a slight and lovely minerally tang to the rice.) Stainless-steel pans work well for those who use them infrequently, as they store better. (Carbon-steel pans need to be either rubbed with oil or dusted with flour after use to keep from oxidizing.) Enameled-steel pans are an excellent choice between these—quicker to respond to heat changes than stainless steel, yet easier to maintain than carbon steel ones. Avoid cast iron, copper, and nonstick pans.

If you don’t have a paella pan, I find the best substitution to be two very large skillets. Cook the sofrito base in a single skillet, transfer half to a second one, add liquid to each, bring to a boil, and then add the rice, cooking simultaneously. This is more preferable than crowding the pan and having a layer of rice that is too thick and will not cook evenly nor as intended.

The most evocative and traditional way of preparing a paella is over embers. The smoke will waft over the rice and perfume it in aromatic touches, giving it an incomparable final flavor. It is also inherently the most festive way to cook paella. Some thoughts:

• • Grill-top recipes can be started on the stovetop and finished outside over a grill. Sauté the vegetables and meats or seafood in a very large skillet (or two, if needed) on the stove, transfer them to the paella pan on the hot grill outside, add the liquid, and carry on with the recipe. This not only gives better control when cooking the meats, but reduces grilling time significantly—thus staving off some worries of the coals having enough heat to finish the rice.
• • You can either cook with kindling in a fire pit or similar space, or else on a barbecue using charcoal or gas.
• • For kindling, use a stand or a couple of bricks to hold the paella pan above the flames.
• • The rice takes about 18 or so minutes to cook; the first 10 minutes are over a hot fire, the remainder over a low one. If using logs, they should be burned down by then. If not, pull some out of the fire to reduce the heat to low.
• • If using a grill, be sure that it is at least as large as the paella pan.