Spain · Spain
Paella Valenciana (Rice with Chicken and Vegetables)
Short-grain rice cooked in a wide pan with chicken, beans, tomatoes and saffron until a crisp crust forms on the base.
Paella is named after the wide shallow pan it is cooked in, and the Valencian original is built from rice, chicken and garden vegetables rather than seafood. It belongs to a long Sunday lunch, cooked at the farmhouse so the bottom of the pan forms the socarrat, the toasted crust that everybody argues over. The moment you start stirring, that crust is finished, so the pan is left alone.
Ingredients
- short-grain bomba or calasparra rice500 g
- bone-in chicken thighs, skin on800 g
- fresh or frozen butter beans200 g
- ripe tomato, grated2 pieces
- green Italian pepper, sliced1 pieces
- fresh or jarred artichoke hearts, quartered6 pieces
- garlic, sliced4 tsp
- saffron threads0.5 tsp
- olive oil60 ml
- hot chicken stock1 l
- fresh rosemary2 pieces
- fine salt1 tsp
- smoked paprika1 tsp
Directions
- 1
Steep saffron in a small amount of hot stock for 10 minutes.
Stock turns a deep golden color. - 2
Heat oil in a wide paella pan and brown the chicken pieces skin-side down.
Chicken skin is golden and crisp. - 3
Add pepper, garlic and tomato; cook until tomato thickens, then add beans and artichoke.
Vegetables soften and the tomato loses its raw smell. - 4
Stir in rice to coat, then pour over saffron stock and bring to a simmer.
Rice is fully submerged in the stock. - 5
Simmer without stirring until rice absorbs the stock and forms a socarrat crust.
Rice is tender and a thin golden crust has formed on the base. - 6
Cover with a cloth and rest 5 minutes before serving.
Steam finishes cooking the top layer and flavors settle.
Source: WorldBite Editorial · WorldBite Proprietary Editorial Content