Origin
Valencia, Spain
Description
Oven-baked rice in a clay cazuela — a technique that precedes paella in the Valencian food tradition. The rice is cooked entirely in the oven after a brief stovetop start, using the broth from a previous cocido or a rich stock with tomato, garlic, and pork products (morcilla, chorizo, pork ribs, chickpeas). The cazuela is placed in a 200°C oven for 25-30 minutes until the rice absorbs all the liquid and a golden crust forms on top — the oven-version socarrat. The oven-baked technique produces a different texture from stovetop paella: slightly more even heat distribution, a drier surface crust, and a more deeply caramelised top layer where the rice grains are exposed.
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