Paella Valenciana
Paella is Spain’s most famous dish today! Paella is a festive rice dish that is great for a party, great for a crowd. It is easy to prepare and is served in its own beautiful pan featuring your personal choices of meats, fresh seafood, and seasonal vegetables.
Friends and I were invited to Chef Miguel’s home for the demonstration of his wonderful Paella Valenciana. His Paella passed our taste testing with flying colors! It was awesome! Thanks, Chef Miguel! Today I am sharing his recipe with you. It is a time consuming dish, but well worth the time and effort…a dish your family and friends will enjoy.
First, let’s explore the history and ingredients of this wonderful dish!
Paella Origins:
Paella originated in the Valencia region on the eastern coast of Spain. History hints that the dish may have originated when the servants of the Moorish kings created rice dishes by mixing leftovers from royal banquets in pots to take home. Some say that the word “Paella” originates from the Arab word “baqiyah”, meaning leftovers.
Paella is made in every region of Spain with any ingredient that goes well with rice: chicken, pork, shellfish, fish, eel, squid, beans, peas, artichokes, peppers. Saffron is essential to this dish for both flavor and the resulting golden color of the rice.
Rice:
Rice is the central ingredient in this dish and “bomba” rice or medium grain rice should always be used. Bomba rice is a short-grain variety of rice cultivated in Spain and is used in Paella and other dishes from the Valencia region. While perhaps not readily available at your local grocery store, this expensive rice is available on Amazon. Bomba is a white rice that does not turn mushy when cooked and will absorb two to three times its volume in liquid while maintaining its structure. Bahia and Senia are also good substitutes.
Paella Pan:
A Paella pan, also called a paellera, is a large, flat, open round steel pan. It can be made of stainless steel, carbon steel, double gauge steel or hammered copper. All are good for even heat distribution.
The pan must be seasoned before first use. Wash the pan with soap and warm water and polish dry with a soft cloth. While still warm, rub olive oil over the inside surface with a paper towel. After each use, clean immediately and rub with olive oil before storing.
Traditional Paella Valenciana is a Paella with meat, beans and artichokes. Usually rabbit and snails are included. My recipe today uses chicken, tomatoes, and green beans. Fresh artichokes can also be included in this recipe and added at the same time as the beans.
Paella Valenciana
Ingredients:
1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
5 small chicken drumsticks
5 small chicken thighs
2 chicken breasts, cut up into 3 pieces each
(You can substitute some of the chicken with rabbit , often available at ethnic food stores)
4 or 5 ripe roma tomatoes, grated fine
600 gr. of green beans
1.5 tablespoons of smoked paprika
2 pinches of saffron
6 cups of chicken broth
2 cups rice (Bomba or Calasparra (D.O.)
Few sprigs of rosemary
Method:
Heat the Paella pan. When hot, add the oil as shown below.
Add the meat to sear in the flavor and to brown on all sides.
Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon salt over the meat while browning.
Move browned meat to outside edges of pan. Add green beans to centre of pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
Move beans also to the outside of the pan; add saffron to the middle of the pan.
Add grated tomatoes and paprika and stir well. You have just made the “soffrito” or cooking sauce”.
Now move the meat and beans into the soffrito in the centre of the pan, being sure to coat the meat and vegetables with the soffrito.
Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. The broth should have a salty flavor. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Bring to a hard boil.
Add the rice, spread evenly and do not stir the rice any more.
Cover the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil. Place in oven at 400°F. for 10 minutes.
Top with rosemary sprigs. Turn down oven to 300°F. and bake for another 10 minutes.
Take out of oven. Remove foil. Let it rest covered with clean newspaper sheets or a loose cover for 5 minutes before serving.
You can serve a lemon and garlic aioli (mayonnaise) on the side for extra flavor.
Note: Serve your Paella Valenciana proudly in the Paella pan. Traditionally, Paella is eaten with wooden spoons from the Paella pan. Eat the rice and vegetables first, pushing the meat to the centre of the pan. Then finish the meal with the meat. A Spanish Cava Brut (Spanish champagne wine) is a lovely accompaniment to the Paella.
Ingredients
- 1 – 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt to taste
- 5 small chicken drumsticks
- 5 small chicken thighs
- 2 chicken breasts, cut up into 3 pieces each
- (You can substitute some of the chicken with rabbit , often available at ethnic food stores)
- 4 or 5 ripe roma tomatoes, grated fine
- 600 gr. of green beans
- 1.5 tablespoons of smoked paprika
- 2 pinches of saffron
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups rice (Bomba or Calasparra (D.O.)
- Few sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Heat the Paella pan. When hot, add the oil as shown below.
- Add the meat to sear in the flavor and to brown on all sides.
- Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon salt over the meat while browning.
- Move browned meat to outside edges of pan. Add green beans to centre of pan and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Move beans also to the outside of the pan; add saffron to the middle of the pan.
- Add grated tomatoes and paprika and stir well. You have just made the “soffrito” or cooking sauce”.
- Now move the meat and beans into the soffrito in the centre of the pan, being sure to coat the meat and vegetables with the soffrito.
- Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil. Taste for salt, adding more if needed. The broth should have a salty flavor. Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Bring to a hard boil.
- Add the rice, spread evenly and do not stir the rice any more.
- Cover the pan with a large sheet of aluminum foil. Place in oven at 400°F. for 10 minutes.
- Top with rosemary sprigs. Turn down oven to 300°F. and bake for another 10 minutes.
- Take out of oven. Remove foil. Let it rest covered with clean newspaper sheets for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Serve your Paella Valenciana proudly in the Paella pan. Traditionally, Paella is eaten with wooden spoons from the Paella pan. Eat the rice and vegetables first, pushing the meat to the centre of the pan. Then finish the meal with the meat. A Spanish Cava Brut (Spanish champagne wine) is a lovely accompaniment to the Paella.
Category: Main Dishes