Possibly the most authentic version of paella is paella valenciana. Thus traditional paella has chicken and rabbit or sometimes pork ribs. Use saffron, lima beans and the classic bomba rice and it cannot go wrong. Some use garlic, some do not. In general the trick of making paella is first to cook all ingredients individually, then make a risotto, but then at the end a nice crust, the socarrat, should form on the bottom, that is tasty, as long as it does not burn.
The art of making paella Valenciana
For best results use flat green beans, smoky paprika, and of course some rabbit and chicken meat, or use pork or even snails. Use no broth, just water and salt. Make the paella on an open flame.
Use a good paella rice, like bomba, and use saffron. Always start with frying the meat, on a slow fire. This could take 45 min. Then follow by frying the onions, the green beans, paprika, other beans and use tomato to deglaze the pan. You could take paprika out and later add in again. Then add water and rice. Once the rice is added, try not to stir anymore. Try to regulate the heat such that there is slow simmer. Bomba rice needs 20 minutes, but perhaps longer in the open air. At the end, check for doneness and give it a last round of higher fire to make the socarrat. When the fire is hot, it takes about 2 hours to finish making this dish. Slow is beautiful!
Special equipment
flat iron paella pan
open flame preferred
Paella Valenciana
Ingredients
for the paella
- 2 lb chicken drum sticks or legs
- 5 oz (150 g) snails optional
- several strands saffron
- 1 lb rabbit meat
- 1 red paprika
- 0.9 lb (400 g) bomba rice bomba is a lower starch rice
- 1 white onion
- 1 large tomato
- 8 oz (230 g) lima beans
- 8 oz (230 g) (flat) green beans
- 1 cup olive oil (or other vegetable il)
- salt and pepper
- 1 twig rosemary
- 1.5 quarts (L) water
Instructions
making the paella
- Making this on an open fire, impairs taste of the wood. If using, first make a warm fire. regulate the heat with additional dry branches of wood.
- Using a paella pan is mandatory
- Cut the meats and clean the vegetables and prepare all ingredients
- Place the paella pan on the warm fire and add most of the olive oil
- Add the pieces of rabbit and chicken and slow fry them in the middel of the pan
- Turn the pieces regularly and let the meat become tender. This may take 45 min
- Then add the onions and fry them. Then the green beans and thereafter the lima beans. The paprika is to be added and briefly fried last.
- Then add the sliced tomato to deglaze the pan
- Now add the water, the salt and the saffron and bring to a simmer. This way you make an in-situ broth.
- When the water is simmering, add the bomba rice and stir
- Let the rice cook slowly and check for done-ness after 20 or so minutes. Let any remaining liquid evaporate at the end so the socarrat can develop.
- Let the dish stand for 5 or 10 minutes and then serve
- The dish can be accompanied by a fresh salad
Notes
Food allergy & intolerance information: none
Remarks
Take your time making paella. It takes time to cook the meat and rice
