Cook Paella & Spanish Rice Like a Pro
Professional Paella & Rice Cooking Class in Barcelona for Chefs, Cooks and Food Lovers
COURSE DETAILS
Learn to prepare paellas and rice dishes like a professional: from making stocks and sofritos to controlling the heat, liquid ratios, and cooking times.
This in-person course is designed for cooks, food entrepreneurs, and cooking enthusiasts who want to learn or perfect their paella and rice-making techniques. No previous professional experience is required.
The intensive Monday-to-Thursday format concentrates the training into four consecutive days, making it easier to organise your stay in Barcelona.
Duration:
16 hours spread over four consecutive days, from Monday to Thursday.
Schedule:
From 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Group size:
Maximum of 8 participants.
Practical work:
Participants work in pairs, with a cooking station for each pair.
Location:
Paella Barcelona Cooking School, Carrer del Notariat, 8, Barcelona.
Certification:
Official Certificate issued by Paella Barcelona Cooking School.
Language:
Training available in Spanish or English.
Price: €1,050 / Special offer: €590 per person.
Course Description:
On the first day, we will prepare the foundations that give a good rice dish its flavor: stocks and sofritos. Over the following three days, each pair will prepare two dishes per session, with each dish serving two people.
Throughout the course, we will work on six recipes and compare different techniques, ingredients, and textures. María will guide each pair, explaining the processes, correcting mistakes, and answering questions during preparation.
Monday · Stocks, sofritos, and the fundamentals of rice
We will prepare the essential bases used throughout the course.
- Types of rice and how to choose the right one.
- Preparation of vegetable stock, fish stock, and meat stock.
- Preparation of sofritos and salmorreta.
- Cutting techniques and ingredient organisation.
- The relationship between rice, stock, cooking vessel, and heat.
You will learn how the intensity of the stock and the preparation of the sofrito influence the final flavour.
Tuesday · Vegetable paella and Valencian paella
We will prepare two paellas to practise the fundamentals of dry rice dishes.
- Seasonal vegetable paella.
- Valencian paella with chicken and rabbit.
We will work on preparing the vegetables, browning the meat, distributing the ingredients, and controlling the heat. You will learn how to adjust the amount of liquid and recognise when the rice and socarrat are ready.
Wednesday · Seafood paella and black rice
We will focus on seafood rice dishes and how to prepare their ingredients.
- Seafood paella.
- Black rice with cuttlefish.
We will practise cleaning and preparing the seafood and cuttlefish, using fish stock, and adding squid ink. We will also work on cooking times to ensure that both the rice and seafood are cooked properly.
Thursday · Creamy and brothy rice dishes
We will learn how to achieve textures that differ from those of a dry paella.
- Creamy mushroom rice.
- Brothy fish rice.
We will compare stock ratios, heat levels, and the behaviour of starch. We will work on cooking times and when to serve each dish to achieve the desired texture.
We will finish the course with a review of the techniques covered and time to answer any questions.
María Plavinskaya is a chef and instructor at Paella Barcelona Cooking School. She trained at the Hofmann School and has over eight years of experience in cooking and teaching.
Throughout the course, she will guide you through each preparation, explaining techniques, answering questions, and helping you perfect the texture of the rice. Her goal is to ensure you understand the reasoning behind each step and can confidently apply what you have learned in your own kitchen.
- Choose the right rice for each dish.
- Prepare stocks and sofritos as the flavor base.
- Organize ingredients and tasks before cooking.
- Adjust the amount of liquid and control the heat.
- Recognize when the rice is properly cooked.
- Develop the socarrat without burning the bottom.
- Distinguish between techniques for dry, creamy, and brothy rice dishes.
- Identify common mistakes and learn how to correct them.
- 16 hours of in-person training.
- Ingredients for all dishes.
- Use of professional kitchen utensils and equipment during classes.
- Course recipe materials.
- Course completion certificate from Paella Barcelona Cooking School.
Recipes may be adapted depending on product availability and seasonality.
Each session covers the full four-day course, Monday through Thursday, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Check upcoming dates and availability.
Price: 1.050 € / Promotion: 590 € Per person.
Maximum of 8 participants
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Masterclass on Rice Dishes and Paellas in Barcelona: Haute Cuisine Techniques for Chefs and Foodies
In our continuous analysis in the kitchens of Paella Barcelona Cooking School, we found that 85% of errors in restaurants come from inconsistent hydration. After testing dozens of rice dishes under pressure, we have designed an invariable cooking protocol. You will practice in a real fire environment, with ultra-small groups (maximum 8 students), ensuring that you assimilate each phase of cooking under the direct supervision of master rice chefs.
Throughout the four days of the course in the heart of Barcelona (C/ Notariat 8), you will learn:
Starch Behavior: Reaction of varieties (Bomba, Senia, Albufera) to concentrated stocks.
Service Standardization: Pre-marking and regeneration techniques to maintain excellence in high-volume services.
Socarrat Chemistry: Control of the Maillard reaction without burning the bottom.
Profitability (Food Cost): Precise costing to maximize profit margin in each paella pan.
Our professional space
Ready to learn the best Rice and Paella techniques?
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ
Cooks, food entrepreneurs and cooking enthusiasts who want to learn or perfect their paella and rice-making techniques. No previous professional experience is required.
The course lasts 16 hours over four consecutive days, Monday to Thursday, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The price is €1,050 per person, currently on special offer at €590. It includes all ingredients, use of professional kitchen equipment, the course recipe materials and the course certificate.
Six recipes: vegetable paella, Valencian paella, seafood paella, black rice with cuttlefish, creamy mushroom rice and brothy fish rice. The first day covers the bases: stocks, fish stock, sofritos and salmorreta.
A maximum of 8 participants. You work in pairs, with a cooking station for each pair.
María Plavinskaya, chef and instructor at Paella Barcelona Cooking School. She trained at the Hofmann School and has over eight years of experience in cooking and teaching.
Yes. You will receive a course completion certificate from Paella Barcelona Cooking School.
Spanish or English.
At Paella Barcelona Cooking School, Carrer del Notariat, 8, Ciutat Vella, 08001 Barcelona, a 3-4 minute walk from MACBA and La Boquería market.
Each session is the full four-day course, Monday to Thursday. Check upcoming dates and availability on this page or via WhatsApp at +34 633 79 56 60.
