Day 14: The Secret of Socarrat
“Wait for the rice to sing!” Victor says. “Eh? Que?” But he’s disappeared before I have time to form the question. Leaving me to watch over the paella pan, waiting for the rice to… well, err, to … sing.
Today, I have been moved into the hot section, known in Spanish as Calientes.
It’s a whole new world. Mainly a hot one. Hot pans. Hot oil. Hot oven door.
And my suit of armour is one paper thin, slightly damp tea towel, that Victor gave me early today when I was concerned about how to remove trays from the 200 degree oven.
Victor is the sous chef, in charge of the five rice dishes. He knows his arroz, that’s for sure, winning a silver medal at last year’s World Paella Championships.
It’s Day 14 of the 100 Day Chef Stage, and today, I’m thrilled to be learning the secrets of socarrat.
That’s the layer of caramelised rice found at the bottom of a paella.
Here, at El Monastrell socarrat is the star of the show; peeled from the base, it is served on top of the rice in pride of place; a badge of honour.
Victor has left me in charge, while he nips upstairs to the store cupboard, and has told me to listen our for singing rice, and that I should also keep sniffing
It’s easy to burn the rice by taking the socarrat too far.
When the socarrat is formed, it will happen quickly within a few minutes tops … and I need to be ready to pull it off the heat before it burns.
What’s so special about socarrat?
Any Spaniard worth their sea salt will, when a paella pan arrives at the table, mix the rice, and check for socarrat.
Socarrat is that toasted, nutty brown bottom layer of rice that sticks to the base of the pan.
For many gourmands, it’s presence will bring delight.
Rather like the crunchy bits on a roast potato, or the toasted bubbly bits of cheese on your toastie - it’s the part everyone wants.
Just the right side of burnt.
But how is it formed?
In two words: Maillard Reaction.
In more: Deep in the paella pan the proteins and the sugars are reacting as they reach a certain temperature (from 140°C to 165°C degrees).
Hundreds of new flavour compounds are formed. Amongst them are ones we covet; the tasty toasty Pyrazines, the nutty Pyrroles, the sweet caramel Furanones.
But beware! Soon after the Maillard Reaction (at around 180°C degrees) comes Pyrolysis ie: Burning. More compounds are formed. But these are not ones we desire, these taste bitter, harsh, acrid.
A good socarrat has undergone the Maillard Reaction, but has been pulled off the heat before Pyrolysis sets in.
That’s the science of it anyway.
But if you prefer, do what Spanish cooks have been doing for years - wait for the rice to sing.
“Cuando la paella canta, el socarrat está en marcha,” so the saying goes. Loosely translated: “When the paella sings, the socarrat begins.”
I haven’t taken my eyes off the pan since Victor left me.
Now and then, I sniff the steam, and I’m all ears.
So far, so good. No signs of scorching, or whiffs of charring - but no songs either.
The stock is bubbling away; huge volcanic type bubbles push the swollen rice grains to the surface.
I watch as the liquid is slowly absorbed, and the rice begins to settle.
The bubbles get smaller and smaller, until they disappear altogether, and it’s then when I hear it.
A crackle, at first quiet. But then it becomes louder.
With no more liquid to absorb, the temperature has increased, and the rice is now frying.
I can hear it crackling.
Make no mistake about it. It’s singing. The rice is singing.
Which means the socarrat is beginning to form.
The trick is to leave it for just the right amount of time; but how long is too long?
We are getting close, I can feel it, hear it, smell it.
Victor returns.
“How do you know when it’s ready?” I ask him, “Is it is just years of experience?”
He smiles back at me, and let’s me into a secret that works every time.
He takes a spoon, prods gently at the rice, turning it over.
“I take a look,” he says grinning.
He replaces the upturned grains, and smiling he removes the pan from the from the heat. He nods.
We have socarrat!
What’s next?
In the next episode, things get weird. I meet Andoni Aduriz, the two-star Michelin Chef of Mugaritz.
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Me gusta q el arroz cante porque me encanta el socarrat 😍
Great! Not being Valencian I can pass on the 'socarrat', but interesting to learn the science behind it. Sxx