Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana combines saffron-infused rice with chicken thigh, rabbit, flat green beans, and tomatoes in a traditional Spanish one-pan dish serving four.
1pinch
1,200ml
4clove
200g
600g
400g
2tsp
80ml
tinned, drained150g
1tsp
2sprig| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 1pinch | — | — | |
| 2 | | 1,200ml | — | — | |
| 3 | 200g | — | — | ||
| 4 | | 4clove | — | — | |
| 5 | | 200g | — | — | |
| 6 | | 600g | — | — | |
| 7 | | 400g | — | — | |
| 8 | | 2tsp | — | — | |
| 9 | | 80ml | — | — | |
| 10 | | 150g | tinned, drained | — | |
| 11 | | 1tsp | — | — | |
| 12 | | 2sprig | — | — | |
| 13 | 400g | — | — |
Heat the oven to 190 °C so it is ready for the final stage of cooking the rice.
Drop the saffron threads into a small bowl.
Saffron threads · 1 pinch
Pour a small splash of just-boiled water over the saffron to begin steeping it.
Water · 50 mlLeave the saffron to steep for at least 10 minutes, colouring the water a deep gold, while you prepare everything else.
Snap or cut the tops and tails from the flat green beans, then cut each bean into roughly 4 cm lengths.
Transfer the trimmed beans to a bowl and set aside.
Crush each garlic clove under the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.
Garlic · 4 cloveFinely chop the peeled garlic cloves into a fine mince.
Scrape the chopped garlic into a small bowl and set aside.
Cut the plum tomatoes in half through the equator.
Plum tomatoes · 200 gHold each tomato half cut-side against a coarse grater and grate the flesh into a bowl, discarding the flattened skins.
Scrape the grated tomato pulp into a medium bowl and set aside.
Lay the chicken thighs on the chopping board.
Chicken thigh · 600 gCut each chicken thigh through the bone into two or three pieces of roughly equal size.
Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl.
Lay the rabbit pieces on the chopping board.
Rabbit · 400 gCut the rabbit into similar-sized pieces to the chicken, cutting through the bone.
Add the rabbit pieces to the bowl with the chicken.
Season the meat generously with salt.
Salt · 1 tspTurn the chicken and rabbit pieces with tongs until every surface is coated in salt.
Pour the olive oil into the paella pan and set it over a medium-high heat.
Extra-virgin olive oil · 80 ml
Heat the oil until it shimmers.
Lower the seasoned chicken and rabbit pieces into the hot oil in a single layer.
Sear the meat without moving it for 4 minutes per side, turning once with tongs, until deeply golden brown all over.
Push the meat to the edges and tip the trimmed flat green beans into the centre of the pan.
Stir-fry the beans in the oil and meat juices, moving them constantly, until they are bright and beginning to soften.
Tip the drained butter beans into the pan.
Butter beans · 150 gStir everything together so the butter beans are coated in the oil and juices.
Scrape the finely chopped garlic into the centre of the pan.
Stir the garlic through the contents of the pan and cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant and is just golden.
Pour the grated tomato pulp into the pan.
Stir and cook the tomato down, scraping the base of the pan, until the pulp has darkened, thickened and is almost dry.
Sprinkle the smoked sweet paprika directly onto the sofrito.
Smoked paprika · 1 tspStir the paprika into the tomato paste for 20 seconds until it smells toasty but is not burnt.
Pour the water around the pan, covering all the contents.
Water · 1,150 mlPour the saffron water into the pan, scraping out every last thread.
Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the liquid.
Fresh rosemary · 2 sprigAdd the salt to the pan and stir it in.
Salt · 1 tspBring the liquid to a vigorous boil over high heat and let it bubble for 10 minutes to build flavour and reduce slightly.
Scatter the bomba rice evenly across the pan in a single layer, making sure it is submerged in the broth.
Give the pan one gentle stir to distribute the rice evenly, then do not stir again.
Keep the heat high and boil the paella hard for 6 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally if your hob has a hot spot, to cook the rice and reduce the liquid level.
Slide the paella pan into the oven using oven gloves.
Bake the paella in the oven for 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender with a crust beginning to form on the bottom. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.
Lift the paella pan out of the oven with oven gloves and set it on a heatproof surface.
Pull out and discard the rosemary sprigs with tongs.
Leave the paella to rest, uncovered, for 2 minutes so the rice firms up and the socarrat sets.
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | — | | Heat the oven to 190 °C so it is ready for the final stage of cooking the rice.⏱ 10 min |
| 2 | 1 pinch | | Drop the saffron threads into a small bowl.⏱ 10sResultSaffron threads |
| 3 | 50 ml | | Pour a small splash of just-boiled water over the saffron to begin steeping it.⏱ 10sResultSaffron threads and water |
| 4 | — | | Leave the saffron to steep for at least 10 minutes, colouring the water a deep gold, while you prepare everything else.⏱ 10 minResultSaffron waterused in step 36 |
| 5 | 200 g | | Snap or cut the tops and tails from the flat green beans, then cut each bean into roughly 4 cm lengths.⏱ 1 minResultTrimmed flat green beans |
| 6 | Trimmed flat green beansstep 5 | | Transfer the trimmed beans to a bowl and set aside.⏱ 10sResultTrimmed flat green beansused in step 25 |
| 7 | 4 clove | | Crush each garlic clove under the flat of the knife to loosen the skin, then peel it away.⏱ 30sResultPeeled garlic cloves |
| 8 | Peeled garlic clovesstep 7 | | Finely chop the peeled garlic cloves into a fine mince.⏱ 40sResultFinely chopped garlic |
| 9 | Finely chopped garlicstep 8 | | Scrape the chopped garlic into a small bowl and set aside.⏱ 10sResultFinely chopped garlicused in step 29 |
| 10 | 200 g | | Cut the plum tomatoes in half through the equator.⏱ 30sResultHalved plum tomatoes |
| 11 | Halved plum tomatoesstep 10 | | Hold each tomato half cut-side against a coarse grater and grate the flesh into a bowl, discarding the flattened skins.⏱ 45sResultGrated tomato pulp |
| 12 | Grated tomato pulpstep 11 | | Scrape the grated tomato pulp into a medium bowl and set aside.⏱ 10sResultGrated tomato pulpused in step 31 |
| 13 | 600 g | | Lay the chicken thighs on the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultChicken thigh |
| 14 | Chicken thighstep 13 | | Cut each chicken thigh through the bone into two or three pieces of roughly equal size.⏱ 1 minResultBone-in chicken pieces |
| 15 | Bone-in chicken piecesstep 14 | | Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl.⏱ 10sResultBone-in chicken pieces |
| 16 | 400 g | | Lay the rabbit pieces on the chopping board.⏱ 10sResultRabbit |
| 17 | Rabbitstep 16 | | Cut the rabbit into similar-sized pieces to the chicken, cutting through the bone.⏱ 1 minResultRabbit pieces |
| 18 | Rabbit piecesstep 17 | | Add the rabbit pieces to the bowl with the chicken.⏱ 10sResultBone-in chicken pieces and rabbit pieces |
| 19 | 1 tsp | | Season the meat generously with salt.⏱ 10sResultBone-in chicken pieces and rabbit pieces and salt |
| 20 | — | | Turn the chicken and rabbit pieces with tongs until every surface is coated in salt.⏱ 15sResultSeasoned meat piecesused in step 23 |
| 21 | 80 ml | | Pour the olive oil into the paella pan and set it over a medium-high heat.⏱ 10sResultExtra-virgin olive oil |
| 22 | — | | Heat the oil until it shimmers.⏱ 1 min 30sResultHot olive oil |
| 23 | Seasoned meat piecesstep 20 | | Lower the seasoned chicken and rabbit pieces into the hot oil in a single layer.⏱ 15sResultSeasoned meat pieces and hot olive oil |
| 24 | — | | Sear the meat without moving it for 4 minutes per side, turning once with tongs, until deeply golden brown all over.⏱ 8 minResultBrowned meat pieces |
| 25 | Trimmed flat green beansstep 6 | | Push the meat to the edges and tip the trimmed flat green beans into the centre of the pan.⏱ 10sResultBrowned meat pieces and trimmed flat green beans |
| 26 | — | | Stir-fry the beans in the oil and meat juices, moving them constantly, until they are bright and beginning to soften.⏱ 3 minResultSoftened green beans with browned meat |
| 27 | 150 g | | Tip the drained butter beans into the pan.⏱ 10sResultSoftened green beans with browned meat and butter beans |
| 28 | — | | Stir everything together so the butter beans are coated in the oil and juices.⏱ 30sResultOil-coated beans and meat |
| 29 | Finely chopped garlicstep 9 | | Scrape the finely chopped garlic into the centre of the pan.⏱ 10sResultFinely chopped garlic and oil-coated beans and meat |
| 30 | — | | Stir the garlic through the contents of the pan and cook, stirring, until it smells fragrant and is just golden.⏱ 1 minResultFragrant garlic with meat and beans |
| 31 | Grated tomato pulpstep 12 | | Pour the grated tomato pulp into the pan.⏱ 10sResultFragrant garlic with meat and beans and grated tomato pulp |
| 32 | — | | Stir and cook the tomato down, scraping the base of the pan, until the pulp has darkened, thickened and is almost dry.⏱ 5 minResultSofrito base |
| 33 | 1 tsp | | Sprinkle the smoked sweet paprika directly onto the sofrito.⏱ 10sResultSofrito base and smoked sweet paprika |
| 34 | — | | Stir the paprika into the tomato paste for 20 seconds until it smells toasty but is not burnt.⏱ 20sResultPaprika sofrito |
| 35 | 1,150 ml | | Pour the water around the pan, covering all the contents.⏱ 15sResultPaprika sofrito and water |
| 36 | Saffron waterstep 4 | | Pour the saffron water into the pan, scraping out every last thread.⏱ 10sResultSaffron water and paprika sofrito and water |
| 37 | 2 sprig | | Tuck the rosemary sprigs into the liquid.⏱ 10sResultSaffron water and paprika sofrito mixture |
| 38 | 1 tsp | | Add the salt to the pan and stir it in.⏱ 10sResultSaffron water and paprika sofrito mixture |
| 39 | — | | Bring the liquid to a vigorous boil over high heat and let it bubble for 10 minutes to build flavour and reduce slightly.⏱ 10 minResultSaffron broth with meat and beans |
| 40 | 400 g | | Scatter the bomba rice evenly across the pan in a single layer, making sure it is submerged in the broth.⏱ 15sResultSaffron broth with meat and beans and bomba rice |
| 41 | — | | Give the pan one gentle stir to distribute the rice evenly, then do not stir again.⏱ 20sResultBroth with rice distributed |
| 42 | — | | Keep the heat high and boil the paella hard for 6 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally if your hob has a hot spot, to cook the rice and reduce the liquid level.⏱ 6 minResultPaella at rapid boil |
| 43 | — | | Slide the paella pan into the oven using oven gloves.⏱ 10sResultPaella at rapid boil |
| 44 | — | | Bake the paella in the oven for 10 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is just tender with a crust beginning to form on the bottom. Check the thickest piece reads 74 °C on a thermometer.⏱ 10 minResultBaked paella with socarrat forming |
| 45 | — | | Lift the paella pan out of the oven with oven gloves and set it on a heatproof surface.⏱ 10sResultBaked paella with socarrat forming |
| 46 | — | | Pull out and discard the rosemary sprigs with tongs.⏱ 15sResultFinished paella |
| 47 | — | | Leave the paella to rest, uncovered, for 2 minutes so the rice firms up and the socarrat sets.⏱ 2 minResultRested paella valenciana |
| Total Time | 1 hr 5 min | ||
- Bring the paella pan straight to the table and serve directly from the pan, spooning portions onto warmed plates.
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 745kcal | |
| 58g | |
| 35g | |
| 7g | |
| 46g | |
| 4g | |
| 5g | |
| 1,396mg |
Paella Valenciana
Paella Valenciana combines saffron-infused rice with chicken thigh, rabbit, flat green beans, and tomatoes in a traditional Spanish one-pan dish serving four.
What you’ll doYou will prepare and sear chicken and rabbit, build a sofrito base with garlic, tomato and paprika, then add saffron-infused broth and rice. The rice cooks partly on the hob and finishes in the oven, developing a golden crust on the bottom. Expect about 30 minutes of active work, then 16 minutes of hands-off cooking.
Ingredients
- Saffron threads1 pinch
- Water1,200 ml
- Flat green bean200 g
- Garlic4 clove
- Plum tomatoes200 g
- Chicken thigh600 g
- Rabbit400 g
- Salt2 tsp
- Extra-virgin olive oil80 ml
- Butter beans, tinned, drained150 g
- Smoked paprika1 tsp
- Fresh rosemary2 sprig
- Bomba rice400 g