Traditional Spanish Dishes
Valencian Spanish Paella
Prepare an authentic Spanish Valencian paella with chicken, rabbit, green beans, garrofón, and bomba rice. A traditional recipe cooked in a paellera, with dry rice, intense flavors, and a light socarrat at the base.
This Valencian paella brings together classic ingredients from the tradition of the Valencian Community. The key is to brown the meats well, concentrate the sofrito, prepare a flavorful broth, and cook the rice without stirring to keep the grains loose.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓400 g of diced chicken
- ✓300 g of diced rabbit
- ✓320 g of bomba rice
- ✓150 g of flat green beans
- ✓100 g of cooked garrofón
- ✓4 tablespoons of olive oil
- ✓150 g of crushed tomato
- ✓1 teaspoon of sweet paprika
- ✓A few strands of saffron
- ✓1 sprig of rosemary
- ✓1.2 liters of hot water
- ✓Salt to taste
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Cut the chicken and rabbit into small and regular pieces
Cut the chicken and rabbit into small and regular pieces. Wash the green beans, remove the tips, and cut them into four-centimeter pieces. If the garrofón is frozen, thaw it; if it is dry, make sure it is previously cooked and tender.
- 02
Place the paellera, well leveled, over medium heat
Place the paellera, well leveled, over medium heat. Add the olive oil and, when hot, add the chicken and rabbit with a pinch of salt.
- 03
Brown the meats slowly on all sides for ten or fifteen minutes...
Brown the meats slowly on all sides for ten or fifteen minutes, without rushing the process, until they acquire a good toasted color.
- 04
Move the meats to the edge of the paellera and add the green beans...
Move the meats to the edge of the paellera and add the green beans in the center. Sauté them for a few minutes, until they take on a light golden color.
- 05
Add the cooked garrofón and stir carefully to impregnate...
Add the cooked garrofón and stir carefully to impregnate it with the oil and flavors of the paellera.
- 06
Make a space in the center and add the crushed tomato
Make a space in the center and add the crushed tomato. Cook for five or six minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and loses part of its water.
- 07
Add the sweet paprika and mix quickly for a few seconds...
Add the sweet paprika and mix quickly for a few seconds to avoid burning.
- 08
Pour in the hot water and add the saffron, rosemary sprig, and a bit more salt
Pour in the hot water and add the saffron, rosemary sprig, and a bit more salt. Increase the heat and let it boil for about twenty minutes to form the broth. Taste the liquid and adjust the salt if necessary.
- 09
Remove the rosemary after aromatizing the broth, or leave it until the end...
Remove the rosemary after aromatizing the broth, or leave it until the end if you prefer a more marked flavor. Avoid stirring continuously during boiling and, if you need to add liquid, use hot water.
- 10
When the broth boils strongly and the meat is tender, add the rice...
When the broth boils strongly and the meat is tender, add the rice in a cross shape and distribute it throughout the paellera with a spoon. From that moment on, stir only once if necessary.
- 11
Keep the heat high for the first eight minutes so that the boil is uniform
Keep the heat high for the first eight minutes so that the boil is uniform.
- 12
Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another eight or ten minutes
Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking for another eight or ten minutes. If dry areas appear too soon, carefully turn the paellera to distribute the heat, without stirring the rice.
- 13
When the rice is tender but still firm in the center and the surface appears dry
When the rice is tender but still firm in the center and the surface appears dry, turn off the heat. If a soft crackling sound is heard, the socarrat will be forming; avoid letting it burn.
- 14
Let the paella rest for five to ten minutes so that the grains settle...
Let the paella rest for five to ten minutes so that the grains settle and the juices are distributed.
- 15
Serve directly from the paellera, making sure each plate includes...
Serve directly from the paellera, making sure each plate includes rice, chicken, rabbit, green beans, and garrofón.
- Use a large and well-leveled paellera; for four people, a 32-34 cm one is recommended.
- Brown the chicken and rabbit well before adding the tomato: that browning provides much of the final flavor.
- Keep the rice spread in a thin layer and do not stir it during cooking to favor a loose texture and a light socarrat.
- Bomba rice absorbs liquid without breaking easily, making it suitable for this preparation.
- The bajoqueta is also known as flat green bean, and the garrofón can be fresh, frozen, or previously cooked.
- If the rice is hard and the broth has been consumed, add a few tablespoons of hot water along the edges, never cold.
- If there is too much liquid at the end, slightly increase the heat for a minute.
- The socarrat should produce a soft crackling sound, never a strong burnt smell.