Valencia · Spain
Paella valenciana · pah-EH-yah
Paella Valenciana is a Valencian lunch guide from Valencia, Spain, centered on shallow-pan rice.
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4 steps · 1 hr 15 min
Brown the rabbit and chicken well in olive oil, then add the green beans and cook until their surfaces begin to blister.
Cook down the grated tomatoes, briefly fry the sweet paprika without burning it, then add the water, saffron, cooked garrofó or lima beans, and salt. Simmer gently so the meat flavors the liquid; add the optional rosemary for aroma and remove it before serving.
Spread the rice evenly through the simmering liquid in a wide, level paella pan. Do not stir after it returns to a boil. Reduce the heat as the liquid is absorbed and check the rice for tenderness; if the pan dries while the rice is still firm, add a little hot water and continue cooking rather than burning the base.
When the rice is tender and the chicken reaches 74°C / 165°F on a food thermometer, briefly raise the heat if needed to form a lightly toasted bottom layer. Stop at a dry crackle, before it burns. Remove from the heat and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Cook’s tipOnce the rice is distributed, do not stir. A level pan and controlled evaporation create separate grains and an even socarrat.
StorageCool rice promptly, refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 2 days, and reheat once to 74°C / 165°F.
Cook it one step at a time, with timers.
Start Cook Mode →Valencia · Albufera
Rice cultivation in the wetlands south of Valencia links the dish to irrigation, seasonal labor, and a landscape shaped around grain.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons contributor · license on source page
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