How socarrat actually forms
The crispy layer at the bottom of a paella pan has a name, a real chemistry behind it, and a repeatable technique — here's what actually produces it.
Not burnt rice
Socarrat is the toasted, crispy layer of rice that forms on the bottom of the pan. The word comes from Spanish/Catalan for "charred" or "scorched," which is part of why it's so often mistaken for a cooking mistake — but socarrat itself is explicitly not burnt rice. It's the result of the Maillard reaction plus caramelisation of the rice's own starch sugars: a browning process, not a burning one, and it's the part of the dish most sources treat as the prize rather than the problem.
Three factors, repeated across sources
Getting socarrat comes down to the same three things wherever it's described. First, short-grain rice — Bomba is the variety most commonly cited (see our rice guide). Second, a pan surface that conducts heat well. Third, technique: stop stirring once the stock is in, then finish with roughly 30–60 seconds of high heat right at the end. The audible cue every source repeats is the same — a hiss that turns into a crackle, which is the signal to take the pan off the heat, not before.
Does an enamelled pan make worse socarrat?
One paella-pan retailer, Original Paella, calls this a false belief: enamelled steel, they state, has the same ingredient-based components needed for socarrat's chemical reactions as bare steel does. So an enamelled surface isn't a disadvantage for this technique. The same source adds that non-stick pans "can produce good socarrat" too, but advises against them for this job because the crust is scraped off the base with a spoon. An enamelled pan carries no non-stick coating, so that question doesn't arise with it.
The pan this guide is about
Alises Anti-Rust Steel Paella Pan, 40cm — enamelled carbon steel, not non-stick.
See also: what rice actually goes in paella, and how a paella pan works.
Sources (accessed 2026-09-04): Made In Cookware, "How to Achieve Socarrat", for the Maillard/caramelisation mechanism; Original Paella, "How to make perfect socarrat" (opened directly, HTTP 200) — the statements on enamelled and non-stick pans are taken from this page.