the classic recipe
Valencian paella
Valencian paella is the soul of Valencia served over rice — ten mandatory ingredients cooked slowly in a shallow paellera over wood fire, with every grain absorbing the flavors of chicken, rabbit, garrofó beans, and saffron. The socarrat — the golden, crispy crust at the bottom — is the paellero's signature. No seafood, no chorizo, no stirring after the rice goes in. It is Sunday food for large families gathered around the paellera at the center of the table, eating directly from the pan, working spoon by spoon from edge to center.
yields 6 servings·830 kcal per serving·cuisine Spanish
The traditional recipe
Instructions
Heat 100 ml of extra-virgin olive oil in a 38–40 cm paellera over high heat. Season the chicken and rabbit pieces with coarse salt and brown them deeply on all sides; push them to the edges of the pan.
Add the chopped flat green beans and garrofó beans to the center. Sauté for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Grate the ripe tomatoes over the center of the pan. Cook the sofrito over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes until it darkens and dries out. Add 1 tsp of sweet paprika and stir quickly for 30 seconds to avoid burning.
Pour 1 liter of hot water over everything. Steep the saffron threads in 2 tablespoons of hot water separately and add to the pan. Taste and adjust salt — the broth must be well-seasoned before the rice goes in.
Boil over medium-high heat for 15–20 minutes, allowing the broth to reduce slightly and develop full flavor. This is your working broth; do not add more water after this point.
Spread the 480 g of bomba rice in a cross pattern across the pan, then level it evenly with the handle of a wooden spoon. From this moment on, do NOT stir.
Cook over high heat for 6–8 minutes. Reduce to medium-low and cook for a further 10–13 minutes, until the rice has absorbed all the broth. Lay the rosemary sprig on top for the last 5 minutes.
Once all liquid is absorbed, raise the heat to maximum for 1–2 minutes to form the socarrat — you will hear a faint crackling and smell a toasty caramel aroma. Remove from heat.
Cover the paellera with aluminum foil or a clean cloth and rest for 5–8 minutes. Remove the rosemary and bring the paellera directly to the table.