Valencian paella


 

Rafelo

New member
There is a tradition in Valencia, Sunday is paella day. And in a bunch of homes paella is prepared by men. I learned this recipe from my mother and it has no innovation at all: this is the only and authentic paella from Valencia.

Ingredients (for 4 people):

- 400 g (14 oz) Short-grain white rice (called arroz bomba)
- Chicken broth (four parts per one of rice, is better to have five parts ready)
- Crushed threads of saffron (1 tsp)
- 1/2 rabbit cut into pieces
- 1/2 chicken cut into pieces
- Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 grated tomatoes
- Chicken broth 1 litre or 2 pints
- 2 tsp. smoked paprika powder
- 1 pound flat green beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound lima beans (called garrofon)
- 1/2 pound of white beans (called tabella)

Please no peas, no chorizo, no seafood, no pepper. This is a Valencian style paella, you can do paellas almost of anything. But today is Valencian paella.

The pan is called paella too:

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Season chicken and rabbit with salt. If you don’t like rabbit you can use chicken instead, no problem.

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Heat oil in a paella pan:

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Add chicken and rabbit and cook, turning often, until golden brown.

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As you can see there are two kinds of beans, the big ones are called ‘garrofon’.

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Saffron is better slightly toasted, but it burns easily. So, I like to use aluminium foil and place it on top of the lid for a few minutes.

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Meat should be golden brown after 5 minutes

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As lima beans take long to soften, I prefer to put them to cook a little bit earlier.

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Add white beans when lima beans are mid-cooked

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When beans are soft, add 2 tsp. of smoked paprika power and then the grated tomato. Don’t let the paprika burn or it will ruin your paella.

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Cook the tomato

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Add the rice with the saffron and stir

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Add now chicken broth, about 80% and reserve the rest for now. Four parts of broth for one of rice.

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Rise the fire, now it is time for direct method. First 10 minutes it has to boil strongly and slower for the rest.

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When your broth is boiling add rice and then count 15-20 minutes until rice is done. Your broth will be absorbed by the rice.

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If your fire is too hot or you have less broth your rice will not cook properly, so have the 20% broth reserved previously and add it if necessary. Do not add water. Do not stir.

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Rice has to be dry, or almost. When our paella is done, the broth is consumed and your rice is al dente, put out the fire and let it sit for 5 minutes.While it sits you can add some fresh rosemary

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When broth is gone and your rice is al dente, put out the fire and let it sit for 5 minutes.

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If you like the burnt rice of the bottom, called socarrat, you can place the pan directly over the burning coal for a minute.

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If your rice is molto al dente you can cover the paella with aluminium foil. People here in Valencia prefer rice al dente.

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If you want to be more authentic, the tradition is that people eat directly from the paella using wooden spoons.

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Black, burnt rice, is called socarrat and is delicious.

My beautiful and very pregnant wife and me hope you enjoyed this recipe. Feel free to ask any questions.
 
Last edited:
Great recipe! Gorgeous tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing! I have a couple different cookbooks solely on making Paella, and none are beautifully pictured as yours. Thank You again, and welcome to the forum!
 
Are you adding any smoke wood to your coals prior to/during the cook? The reason I ask is that once the coals are "hot and ready", by themselves they add no flavour and you might as well cook your paella on the stove.

Tasty looking BTW :)
 
Last edited:
Are you adding any smoke wood to your coals prior to/during the cook? The reason I ask is that once the coals are "hot and ready", by themselves they add no flavour and you might as well cook your paella on the stove.

Tasty looking BTW :)

Ye, I did and I regretted. I added two hickory chunks and it was almost too smoky. Tradition here is to cook paella witch orange tree wood.
 

 

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