By Catherine Cunningham
Enjoying a meal at Ancala restaurant at The Beach in La Reserva Club Sotogrande is a must for any visitor or resident of Sotogrande.
The name “Ancala“ reflects the restaurant’s dedication to fusion. It combines anca, a local Cádiz expression meaning “in the house of,” with cala, inspired by the seaside coves. Together they form Ancala – a beach restaurant where tradition and coastal influences unite.
We sat down with Executive Chef Alberto Sarmiento to delve into his innovative approach to paella.
Alberto brings extensive experience in traditional, modern and Asian cuisine alike, including in Michelin star restaurants and 5*GL hotels in both Spain and England.
Renowned for its exceptional paellas and rice dishes, Ancala’s kitchen thrives under Alberto’s visionary leadership. Within the kitchen team, Antonio is Ancala’s official paellero. With extraordinary skill, Antonio is able to craft up to eight flawless paellas simultaneously, a highly exacting task, as timing is critical.
We stepped inside the buzzing kitchen as the team prepared for service, witnessing first-hand the precision, passion, and innovation behind some of the region’s most celebrated rice dishes.
Rice is the heart of many traditional Spanish dishes — what do you look for when selecting the perfect rice for your recipes?
Rice brings the flavour and is the principal ingredient in the paella so it makes sense to buy the best rice.
Many people think that the rice does not add anything, but it brings quality. When investing in premium seafood, you must also invest in the best rice. Even though the rice is the least expensive ingredient for paella, it’s the most important one, as it absorbs and carries all the signature flavours from the stock and the sauté.
My rice of choice is a short to medium-grain, more rounded variety of “bomba” rice. It is often mistakenly referred to as Valencian rice, but is grown in the Levante [the eastern Spanish coast]. It has a low amylopectin starch content, which means it does not become sticky when cooked, like sushi rice. I believe it originated in India, not Japan, and was introduced here by the Moors. It absorbs two or three times its volume of water. My personal choice is the arroz bomba from the D.O.P. Calasparra in Murcia; Cooperativa Virgin de la Esperanza, to be precise. I have worked with this rice for 20 years.
What’s your secret to achieving the perfect rice texture in a paella?
The key to a perfect paella lies in a meticulous balance of technique, quality ingredients, and experience. It all begins with selecting the finest rice, followed by the crucial initial sauté, where flavours are built. Achieving the ideal stock-to-rice ratio is also essential, as is the precise moment of adding the rice — listening for the signature crackle when it hits the pan.
Once the stock is added, it is very important to resist the temptation to stir. This allows the rice to develop its signature texture, culminating in the coveted socarrat—the perfectly crisp layer at the bottom. At Ancala, the method is refined to an art: eight minutes over the flame, followed by eight minutes in the oven for the perfect finish.
You’ve created a new signature rice dish for Ancala featuring Almadraba tuna. Can you tell us more about it?
Yes, the Tuna Paella. This dish highlights premium Almadraba bluefin tuna, sourced from Tarifa or Barbate — one of the last places where this exceptional fish is still caught using the ancient Almadraba method, a sustainable and time-honoured technique dating back to the Phoenicians.
The tuna is cooked over hot coals in a barbeque oven. We have refined the recipe to ensure that the meaty richness of the tuna perfectly complements the flavours of the paella. This highly prized ingredient will mark a signature addition to this season’s menu, offering a refined take on a classic dish that blends tradition with innovation.
Achieving the perfect socarrat: the mark of a great paella
What techniques do you use to create that signature crispy layer at the bottom?
Mastering socarrat — the coveted caramelised crust at the base of a paella — requires precision, patience, and an understanding of heat. Each oven or stove behaves differently, so one must learn the exact timing and temperature required to achieve perfection.
The word socarrat literally refers to the undercoat — that irresistibly crispy layer where the rice meets the pan. Achieving it is a delicate balance: too much stock, and the dish turns into a risotto; too little, and the base will burn. The secret lies in the careful caramelisation of the natural sugars in the rice, stock, and proteins, much like the process of creating a perfect golden crust on caramel.
Key tips for achieving a good socarrat:
- No stirring. After the initial stir when the stock is added, resist all temptation to move the rice.
- The right depth. The rice should be no more than two grains deep — some in Valencia insist on just one grain of rice.
- Heat control. The base must be fried at just the right temperature to create that crisp, golden crust.
In Valencia, where paella is a cherished tradition, it’s said that when a grandmother makes a family paella, she always serves the socarrat —the most prized part — to her favourite family member.
What do you think of the sheer quantity of types of paella that are available?
For me, rice is a deeply traditional dish, and the most authentic of them all is the Valencian paella.
The original paellas were not made with fish. In rural Valencia, paella was a humble lunchtime meal for farmers who would cook with whatever ingredients were available around the rice fields. This typically included rabbit, chicken, tomatoes, onions, and vegetables—but not seafood.
Over time, combinations such as paella mixta—blending both meat and seafood—also became popular, though purists still regard the classic Valencian paella as the true original.
Adding in chorizo, such as the famous version by Jamie Oliver, that´s not paella, it’s a rice dish or a risotto.
Do you believe paella should always use traditional ingredients, or do you enjoy experimenting with new flavours and influences?
I love experimenting. At Ancala, culinary artistry takes centre stage with a captivating fusion of Andalusian and Nikkei flavours. Nikkei cuisine — a harmonious blend of Japanese and Peruvian influences —originated in the late 19th century when Japanese immigrants settled in Peru, creating a truly unique gastronomic synergy.
This distinctive style is defined by Peru’s vibrant ingredients, from fiery peppers and golden-hued ají amarillo (yellow chilli pepper) to the bright zest of limes, seamlessly intertwined with Japanese staples such as rice and carefully cultivated vegetables.
Right now, I’m developing a Nikkei paella featuring soft-shell crab tempura with katsuobushi – simmered, smoked, and fermented skipjack tuna, often referred to as bonito. The dish will be served with very fine bonito flakes, which sway with the heat, creating a mesmerising visual effect.’
It’s still a secret, but we’ll be launching it this summer. One thing I can say — if you love social media, you’ll have a lot of fun filming this dish, as it quite literally comes to life on the plate. As for the rest… you’ll have to wait and see!
Can you eat paella in the evening, or is it just a lunchtime dish?
For my father, eating paella at night would be considered a crime, and very few Spaniards would do so, as rice is thought to be harder to digest while you sleep. Ironically, if you have an afternoon siesta the situation is the same, but that doesn´t seem to count — and yes, we occasionally do eat paella at night!
Traditionally paella is our Sunday lunch, the day that we go to the casa de la mama o de la abuela (mum or grandmother’s house).
We are sitting here in your kitchen at the Reserva Club. What do you think about life here in Sotogrande?
I was brought up in Madrid and then we moved to a small village in Tarragona, however my father is from Algeciras so we had strong connection with this area. I can´t believe how green it is; the sea is a stone’s throw away and there is such peace and tranquillity. This place is paradise, and is very inspirational for a chef to work.
