Paella Valenciana
Valencian Rice with Chicken, Rabbit and Beans
The original has no seafood in it. It is a dish of the fields and market gardens behind Valencia: chicken, rabbit, two kinds of bean, tomato, saffron and rice, cooked in a wide shallow pan so that the rice lies in a thin layer and the bottom catches into a crust. It is made at midday, for a crowd, and never stirred once the rice is in.
A study by the Catholic University of Valencia, which surveyed about 400 home cooks in the province, found ten ingredients common to nearly all: rice, water, olive oil, salt, saffron, tomato, flat green beans, garrofó (a large white butter bean), chicken and rabbit. Paprika, rosemary and, in season, artichoke were the most frequent additions.
The Michelin Guide's account adds the wide two-handled pan that gives the dish its name, a fire of orange wood, the prized toasted layer called socarrat, and the rule that it is eaten at lunch.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 450 g chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in, chopped into pieces of about 5 cm
- 450 g rabbit on the bone, in similar pieces (or use all chicken)
- 225 g flat green beans, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 2 ripe tomatoes, halved and grated, skins discarded
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 2 litres water
- A good pinch of saffron threads (about 0.25 g)
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 sprig of rosemary
- 400 g tin of butter beans, drained
- 400 g bomba or other Spanish paella rice
Method
- Brown the meat Set the pan level over a medium-high heat and add the oil. Season the chicken and rabbit and brown them slowly for 15 minutes, turning, until deep golden on all sides. This browning flavours the whole dish.
- Add vegetables Push the meat to the edge. Fry the green beans in the middle for 5 minutes. Add the grated tomato and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it darkens and thickens. Stir in the paprika for 10 seconds.
- Make the broth Pour in the water, add the saffron, salt and rosemary and bring to the boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. The liquid should reduce by about a third; taste it now, as it should be slightly too salty. Remove the rosemary and add the butter beans.
- Add the rice Scatter the rice evenly over the pan and stir once to distribute it. Do not stir again. Cook over a high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes more, until the liquid has gone and the rice is tender with a slight bite.
- Socarrat For the toasted base, raise the heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Listen for a faint crackle and smell for toasting, not burning, then take the pan off the heat.
- Rest Cover loosely with a clean cloth and rest for 5 minutes. Serve from the pan. The chicken should show no pink at the bone.
Food safety
Chicken and rabbit must be cooked through, with no pink at the bone and clear juices (75°C in the thickest part).
The pan must be wide enough for the rice to lie no more than a finger deep. In a small pan, halve the recipe.
If the rice at the edge is cooked and the middle is not, the heat is uneven. Move the pan every couple of minutes.