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Paella Valenciana (Traditional Valencian Rice with Chicken, Rabbit, and Beans)

The Quirky Foodster Team

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6
Servings

Ingredients

  • Bomba or short-grain rice — 400 g (14.1 oz)
  • Chicken thighs, cut into pieces — 500 g (1.1 lb)
  • Rabbit, cut into pieces (optional) — 300 g (10.6 oz)
  • Flat green beans (bajoqueta) — 200 g (7.1 oz)
  • White beans (garrofón), cooked — 150 g (5.3 oz)
  • Tomatoes, grated — 2
  • Sweet paprika — 1 tsp
  • Of saffron threads — pinch
  • Chicken stock — 1.2 L (5 cups)
  • Olive oil — 100 ml (1/2 cup)
  • Salt — to taste
  • Rosemary — 1 sprig

Method

  1. Heat olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat. Season and brown the chicken and rabbit pieces well on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  2. Push the meat to the edges, add the green beans, and cook 5 minutes.
  3. Add grated tomato and paprika, stirring into a sofrito, and cook 3-4 minutes until reduced.
  4. Stir in the white beans, then pour in the hot stock infused with saffron. Bring to a boil.
  5. Scatter the rice evenly across the pan — do not stir again from this point.
  6. Cook at a steady boil for 10 minutes, then reduce heat and simmer 8-10 minutes more until the liquid is absorbed.
  7. 24
  8. Spain — World Cookbook Project Full Recipes
  9. Add the rosemary sprig for the final few minutes, then raise heat briefly to develop the socarrat (crispy bottom layer).
  10. Rest 5 minutes off heat before serving directly from the pan.

Introduction: Paella originated in the rice fields around Valencia, where farmers cooked what was on hand over an open fire in a wide flat pan.

Cultural Background: Paella originated in the rice fields around Valencia, where farmers cooked what was on hand over an open fire in a wide flat pan. The original and still most traditional version uses chicken, rabbit, and local beans rather than seafood, a point of pride among Valencians.

Tips: Never stir the rice once the stock is added — this is essential for proper texture and the prized socarrat crust.

Variations: Seafood paella substitutes prawns, mussels, and squid for the meat. Mixed paella combines both meat and seafood, though purists consider this non-traditional.

Nutrition: Approx. 520 kcal, 32g protein, 58g carbohydrate, 18g fat per serving.

FAQs:

Q: What rice should I use?

A: Bomba rice is ideal as it absorbs liquid without becoming mushy; other short-grain rices work in a pinch.

Q: What is socarrat?

A: The toasted, slightly crisp layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pan, considered a delicacy.

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