Paella Valenciana

Paella Valenciana © kvalifood.com

Paella Valenciana is the original paella from the Valencia region in eastern Spain. It’s made with chicken and rabbit, flat green beans and white beans — no seafood, no chorizo. If you want seafood, see Paella Mixta. The most important thing is the socarrat: the crispy, caramelised layer of rice on the bottom of the pan that forms during the last couple of minutes over high heat. Use a wide, shallow paella pan — it’s not just for looks, but necessary for proper evaporation and a good socarrat.

Ingredients

Serves 4

  • 200 g bomba rice (paella rice)
  • 450 g chicken thighs, bone-in, cut into pieces
  • 350 g rabbit, bone-in, cut into pieces
  • 150 g flat green beans (ferradura or romano beans), cut into 3 cm pieces
  • 150 g white beans (garrofó, fava beans or lima beans), fresh or frozen
  • 2 ripe tomatoes (~200 g), grated on a coarse grater
  • ½ tsp saffron threads
  • 800 ml chicken stock, hot
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp pimentón dulce (sweet paprika)
  • salt

Equipment: Paella pan, 34-40 cm in diameter.

Directions

Brown the meat

Heat olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken and rabbit with salt. Brown thoroughly on all sides, about 10-12 min. Push to the edges of the pan.

Sofrito

Fry the flat green beans in the centre of the pan for 3-4 min until lightly golden. Push to the edges.

Add grated tomato to the centre. Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the tomato is reduced, dark red and nearly dry, about 5-8 min. Add paprika and stir quickly for 30 sec.

Mix the meat and beans back into the tomato. Cook 2-3 min.

Add stock and rice

Crumble saffron threads between your fingers into the pan. Pour in hot stock, add the white beans and rosemary sprigs. Turn up to high heat and taste for salt. Let it boil 5 min — or 15-20 min for deeper flavour in the stock.

Remove the rosemary sprigs. Distribute rice evenly across the pan. Never stir again after this point. Boil over high heat for 8 min.

Socarrat and rest

Turn down to medium-low and cook 10 min without stirring, until the stock is absorbed and the rice is al dente.

Turn up to high heat for 1-2 min. Listen for a faint crackling from the bottom — that’s the socarrat. Remove from heat.

Cover the pan with a clean tea towel (not foil — foil softens the socarrat) and rest 5 min. Serve straight from the pan.

Notes

  • No stirring after the rice goes in — stirring releases starch and gives a creamy risotto-like texture. Rice in paella should be loose and al dente.
  • Hot stock — cold stock drops the temperature and disrupts the cooking.
  • Bone-in meat gives better flavour. Boneless chicken breast is not suitable here.
  • Socarrat is the crispy, caramelised rice layer that forms on the bottom during the last 1-2 min over high heat. Listen for a faint crackling; if it smells burnt, you’ve gone too far.
  • The rice should sit in a single layer, max 2 cm deep — that’s why pan size matters. Use at least a 28 cm pan. The rice layer will be quite thick, so the texture will be more risotto-like, but the flavour is the same.
  • The 5 min pre-simmer can be extended to 15-20 min for deeper flavour in the stock before the rice goes in.
  • In Valencia, water is traditionally used instead of stock — the bones and the long cooking time create the broth. The home version with stock compensates for a shorter cooking time.