Paella Valenciana
Hana Novak Demo- Makes
- 6 servings
- Active
- 33 min
- Total
- 1 h 35 min
You’ll Need Paella pan (wide and shallow, about 40 cm for six) or large shallow skillet, Large gas burner or paella ring or wood fire or barbecue grill, Box grater, Wooden spoon
Method
-
Wash and dry , top and tail them and cut them into short lengths.
-
Wash , scald them in boiling water for a few seconds and peel, then grate the flesh on a box grater.
a loose, bright red pulp -
Season and with and . Heat in the paella pan and brown the meat well on every side.
deep golden all overa brown layer forming on the pan: that is the flavour of the broth -
Push the meat to the edges, add the green beans to the centre and fry them in the oil. Add , lower the heat and stir for a few seconds so it does not burn.
the paprika smells sweet and toasty; bitter means it has burnt -
Quickly add the grated tomato before the paprika catches and fry it with everything else until it darkens and thickens.
the tomato turns deep red and jammythe oil separates at the edges -
Pour in , then add a little salt, and , if using.
-
Boil hard over high heat for so the broth takes the flavour of the meat. Taste: it should be well seasoned, slightly salty.
the level has dropped a little and the broth tastes rich -
Crumble in and scatter evenly across the pan. Nudge the meat and beans so they sit evenly, then leave it alone: no more stirring from here on.
the rice lies in an even layer just under the broth -
Cook over high heat for , then over medium heat for , then over very low heat for , until the water has been absorbed.
little craters appear on the surface as the water dropsthe grains are tender with a slight bite -
In the final minutes on low heat, listen to the pan: a gentle crackle means the bottom layer is toasting into socarrat. Take it off the heat as soon as it smells toasty, before it smells burnt.
a soft crackling sounda toasted, nutty smella spoon scraped at the edge finds a golden crust -
Lay on top, turn off the heat and let the paella rest for before serving from the pan. Remove the rosemary at the table.
From Hana Novak
Valencians are strict about this one: chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, garrofó, tomato, paprika, saffron, rosemary, olive oil, water and round rice, and no seafood, chorizo or peas. The meat is browned hard in the pan, the broth is made right there with plain water, and once the rice goes in it is never stirred, so the bottom can toast into socarrat.
Notes
- Rice: use a round Valencian rice such as bomba or senia. The water is three times the volume of the rice; weigh the rice, measure its volume in a jug and multiply.
- Garrofó is a large, flat white lima bean, used fresh or frozen. Outside Spain use fresh or frozen lima (butter) beans; dried ones must be soaked and cooked first.
- Flat green beans (ferraúra or bajoqueta) are traditional; romano beans are the closest match.
- Snails are classic in the countryside around Valencia and entirely optional. Some cooks add artichokes in season.
- Olive oil: the source leaves the amount to the cook. About 100 ml covers the base of a pan for six; Valencian tradition is generous.
- The pan: a wide, shallow paella pan over a large burner, a paella ring or a wood fire. Turn the pan now and then if one side bubbles harder than the other.
- Socarrat: in the last minutes on low heat, listen for a soft crackle and smell for toasting rice. Stop before it smells burnt.
Storage
Paella is best eaten straight from the pan. Leftovers keep for a day in the fridge.
Make Ahead
Prepare the beans and grate the tomatoes a few hours ahead; the paella itself is cooked at the last minute.
When to Start
Plan backwards from a time
Filed under Main · Southern Europe › Spain · Poultry › Chicken · Rice · Party · Paella. Tags: #feeds a crowd, #one pot, #sunday lunch.
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