Main dishes
Valencian Paella
Valencian paella with chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, garrofón, tomato, paprika and saffron, cooked in a paella pan until the socarrat forms. Serves 6, ready in 85 minutes.
- Total time
- 85 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Cuisine
- Spanish
Ingredients
For the sofrito
For the broth and rice
Method
Prepare the ingredients
Salt 600 g chicken pieces and 400 g rabbit pieces. Have ready 250 g cut flat green beans, 150 g garrofón, 200 g grated tomato and 400 g bomba rice.
Brown the meat
Heat 60 ml olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken and rabbit on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Add the vegetables
Add the green beans and the garrofón and cook them for 5 minutes with the meat.
Make the sofrito
Push the meat and vegetables to the edge. In the center add 200 g grated tomato and 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, and cook for 2 minutes without letting it burn.
Make the broth
Pour in 1.2 liters hot water, add 1 pinch of saffron and 1½ teaspoons salt, and boil for 30 minutes over medium-high heat. The broth should turn golden.
Add the rice
Spread 400 g bomba rice across the whole pan in a cross shape and lay 1 sprig of rosemary on top. Boil hard for 8 minutes, without stirring.
Finish cooking
Lower the heat and cook 8 to 10 more minutes, without stirring, until the rice absorbs the broth and the socarrat forms on the bottom.
Rest and serve
Take the pan off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes. Serve straight from the paella pan.
The step photos are illustrative.
Notes
Nutrition facts
1 serving (1/6 of the recipe)
- Protein
- 27.5 g
- Carbohydrates
- 62 g
- Fat
- 21.8 g
- Sodium
- 649 mg
Estimate per serving. Garrofón is calculated with cooked lima beans and bomba rice with short-grain white rice, as reference values. The edible share of the meat and the fat left in the pan are approximate, and sodium depends on the salt you add.
Reference source: USDA FoodData Central — SR Legacy (2018)
For general information only; it does not replace advice from a qualified health or nutrition professional.
About this recipe
Valencian paella is a dry rice dish cooked in a paella pan with chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, garrofón, grated tomato, sweet paprika and saffron. You brown the meat, make the sofrito, build the broth and add the rice at the end.
The rice boils hard for 8 minutes, then cooks over low heat for 8 to 10 more minutes without stirring, until the socarrat forms on the bottom. It serves 6.
Frequently asked questions
What goes into a Valencian paella?
Chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, garrofón, grated tomato, sweet paprika, saffron, olive oil, water, salt and bomba rice. Some versions add a sprig of rosemary.
Why is the rice not stirred?
Stirring releases starch and makes the rice gummy. Left alone, the grains cook separate and the socarrat forms on the bottom.
What is the socarrat?
The toasted layer of rice that forms stuck to the bottom of the paella pan at the end of cooking. It should be golden and crisp, without burning.
