Paella is a distinct dish that originated in Spain and has long been associated with the Valencia region. It's traditionally made by sautéing meat in olive oil, often with some herbs, onions, and garlic. Once done, the meat is added to rice that's been simmered with saffron, tomatoes, and stock, and then the dish is topped off with some veggies.
If you're handy in the kitchen, maybe you knew this already. However, what you may not know is that the dish is named after the thing it's made in: The word "paella" is Valencian for "pan." As such, this dish is customarily cooked in a paella pan, which is conventionally made with carbon steel.
Its shallow design allows it to get very close to the heat and lets liquid evaporate so that socarrat (a crispy golden crust) can form on the bottom. What do you do if you don't have a paella pan at home, though? While having the wrong pan is one of the biggest mistakes when cooking paella , you still have a few options for making the dish with cookware other than the definitive pan. Generally, you can use any shallow, wide skillet that's at least 12 inches in diameter — although 14 to 15 inches would work best, because you don't want to crowd the ingredients.
The skillet needs to have ovenproof handles, too. Alongside these essential guidelines, there are a few other things you should consider depending on the type of pan you choose. We've compiled some tips for using various cookware other than a paella pan to make this beloved dish, whet.