Paella Valenciana

Name: Paella Valenciana
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Spanish
Ingredients: 600g Chicken, Bone-in and skin-on, cut into pieces; 400g Rabbit, Cut into pieces; 200g Flat Green Beans, ferraura / judía verde plana, cut into 3-4 cm pieces; 150g Garrofó, Valencian butter beans, fresh or frozen; 2 Tomatoes, Ripe, grated (about 200 g); 400g Bomba Rice, Valencian short-grain rice; 100ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil; 1.2 l Water; 1 tsp Sweet Paprika, pimentón dulce; 0g Saffron Threads, large pinch; 1 sprig of Rosemary, Fresh; 2 tsp Salt, or to taste

Paella Valenciana is a rustic, sun-soaked rice dish from Spain that pairs golden, saffron-scented grains with tender pieces of meat and crisp green beans. This traditional version builds deep flavor by browning chicken and rabbit, simmering a tomato-and-paprika base, and finishing the rice to achieve a caramelized bottom crust. Serve straight from the pan for an honest, celebratory meal.

Paella Valenciana is a rustic, sun-soaked rice dish from Spain that pairs golden, saffron-scented grains with tender pieces of mea... Show more

Traditional Spanish Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Rating

4.4

Time

1 hr10 min

Price

2,35 €

Calories

971 kcal

one pot

gluten free

high protein

low sugar

Method

Prep the ingredients

Trim the flat green beans into 3-4 cm pieces if needed. Shell the garrofó if it is fresh; if it is frozen, keep it ready to go. Grate the ripe tomato into a bowl, keeping the juices, and pat the chicken pieces and rabbit pieces dry with paper towels.

Season and sear

Season the chicken and rabbit with 1 tsp of the salt. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat, then add the meat in a single layer and sear it, turning occasionally, until well browned on several sides, about 10 minutes.

Stir-fry the beans

Add the flat green beans and garrofó to the pan and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the beans soften a little and pick up the browned juices from the meat.

Build the sofrito

Stir in the grated tomato and cook, stirring often, until it turns dark and jammy, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat for a moment, add the sweet paprika, and stir for just 10 seconds so it blooms without burning.

Simmer the broth

Pour in all the water, crush the saffron threads lightly between your fingers as you add them, and stir in the remaining 1 tsp of salt. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Bring it to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. Add the fresh rosemary sprig for the last 5 minutes, then remove it before the rice goes in.

Cook the rice

Scatter the Bomba rice evenly over the pan and give the pan a gentle shake so the grains settle into one layer. Don't stir from here on; cook over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the heat and cook for 8 minutes more, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender with a slight bite.

Rest the paella

Turn off the heat and let the paella rest for 5 minutes uncovered. That short pause lets the rice finish steaming and helps the bottom set without softening.

Serve the paella

Check that the rosemary is out, then serve the paella straight from the pan while it is hot, scooping from each section so everyone gets meat, beans, and rice.