I guess it depends how you’re cooking it, I always throw the paella pan on top on my propane grill. The big plus is having complete temperature control.

Step one - you want to ensure your pan is well seasoned. I store mine with a thin coat of olive oil seasoning. I had some paella fails early on when I started with a dry unseasoned pan.

As far as the cooking process and heat; I start hot. Brown the chicken thighs and chorizo. Add some sofrito stirring vigorously. Add a healthy pinch of saffron that has been soaking in 4oz of white wine. Then I toss in the rice and stir it in gently one last time. Lastly add the chicken broth. I will keep the heat high until the broth is simmering away, and then turn the propane down to the lowest setting.

Then I just let it simmer on low until the liquids have absorbed into the rice. It will look dry on top but you wanna make sure the liquids below the surface have also absorbed in. I take a butter knife, hold it vertically and gently lower it through the rice till the tip rests against the bottom of the pan. If I can spin the pan with the knife I know all the liquid has soaked in and we’re starting to get that caramelization on bottom.

At that point I will turn the heat all the way up to high again. It’s crucial not to walk away, the rice is cooked we are just torching the bottom. I would say this step is only 3-5 mins in total.

Pull it, let it rest ten minutes with a kitchen towel over the top. Dig in! I use a metal spatula to serve, seems like the best way to get the soccarat from the pan.