Valencian Paella

Paella may be one of the most popular rice recipes coming from Spain. And Paella Valenciana is amongst the most popular variations! This one pot paella recipe is brought together with a wonderfully hearty mix of chicken and seafood.

I love eating paella. And one of my favorite things about it is how many different ways there are to make it. Honestly, no two Paella Valenciana recipes will be alike, and I love that.

Paella Valenciana is, simply put, paella from the Valencia region – it is generally considered to be the most authentic and traditional version of paella. Which begs the question, what is paella? Paella (meaning “frying pan”) is a Spanish rice dish made using a variety of ingredients. The rice is noticeably yellow due to the use of saffron in the recipe.

How To Make An Authentic Valencian Paella, Step By Step

What ‘authentic’ paella Valenciana is comprised of has been a debated issue. As with many traditional rice dishes, every family has a separate way of preparing their “authentic” version of paella Valenciana.

The ingredients vary from household to household but the premise remains the same, a delicious Spanish rice dish filled with a variety of flavors. Many accounts of authentic Spanish paella Valenciana list chicken, rabbit, and varieties of Spanish green beans as the original ingredients.

By that account, this paella recipe is probably not the most classical take as it involves a mixture of chicken and seafood (which is sometimes called

Traditional Valencian Paella Recipe

However, this version was shown to me and referred to as an authentic paella Valenciana by a lovely Spanish chef, and out of respect to her, I’m calling it a (Seafood) Paella Valenciana too.

Paellas use quite a few different ingredients (don’t skimp, or you risk losing that hearty paella feel!), but they come together wonderfully.

While there are several ingredients involved in making a paella, there are thankfully only a few steps required to make this delicious chicken and seafood paella.

Valencian Paella (with Chicken And Rabbit). Casa Rocher Restaurant. Cullera. Albufera Of Valencia Natural Park. Valencia. Comunidad Valenciana. Spain Stock Photo

Start by heating a paellera (or any large flat skillet) over a medium-high heat and adding olive oil. Once it’s hot, add the onion, garlic, red bell pepper and saffron (this is called the sofrito, and forms the base of your paella’s flavor).

Cook for around ten minutes, stirring frequently until the mixture becomes fragrant. Push the sofrito to one side (or, if your pan isn’t large enough, you can move the mixture to another bowl temporarily), add the chopped chicken and cook until golden brown. Set the chicken aside.

Add the rice to your paellera, and cook for two to three minutes, mixing with the paella sofrito already in the pan. Add the seafood stock, season to taste with salt and pepper. Once the stock begins to boil, add in the calamari, shrimp, mussels, roasted red peppers, and peas.

Valencian Chicken And Vegetable Paella, A Delicious Dish.

Cook at low to medium heat for approximately fifteen minutes, or until the rice is completely cooked through. (The fish often cooks quicker than the rice, but double-check your seafood is cooked too please!) Mix the cooked chicken back into your paella.

One of the best things about one pot recipes like this paella Valenciana with seafood is that it can come together in one pot, or rather, a single paellera . That said, if you don’t have a specialized paella pan, you can use a large, flat nonstick pan. Make sure it’s large and flat – a deep saucepan may prevent some of the required evaporation. It’s good to use a skillet that’s on the thinner side as well, as thicker pans tend to hold more heat, potentially overcooking your paella dinner!

For added benefit, set aside a ladleful of the seafood stock. Pour it in after the initial amount of stock has been mostly absorbed. This helps to make sure nothing in the pan has been missed and left uncooked!

Originale Paella Valenciana De La Huerta • Rezept • Gusto.at

If you’re not sure that your paella rice has cooked through, simply try a spoon from the edge of the paella dish. The rice the farthest from the center of the dish (you know, where the heat usually is) cooks slowest.

Don’t forget to spoon out the crispy socarrat from the bottom of the pan! The ‘crust’ of a paella is often considered the best part! If you find that a socarrat doesn’t naturaly occur when you cook this paella with seafood, try bumping up the heat to high for the last one minute of cooking!

Traditionally, there are two popular types of rice used to cook paellas: bomba and senia. While you’ll find a lot of restaurant chefs opt for senia, you’ll find that bomba rice is a little more forgiving. I find that senia is very easy to overcook.

Best Valencia Paella Recipe

If neither of these is available to you, opt for a long grain rice. Short grain options like arborio rice tend not to provide the best results.

Yeesh! There are said to be hundreds of paella variations. So let’s keep this simple…you can mix up the components of this recipe quite easily. Don’t like calamari? No worries, swap it out for a little smoked sausage. Not a fan of chicken? That’s cool, omit it completely. Don’t like rice? Umm…your hair looks great today!

If you’re looking to spice up your paella Vallenciana, you have a few options. Start by adding spice through paprika, or chilli flakes. Alternatively, if you’re using a homemade broth (or stock), make it a spicier one.

Spanish Paella Recipe

One of the great things about paella is that it goes well with almost everything. Whenever we whip up seafood paella at home, we like to also prepare the potato frittata with goat’s cheese as a yummy side.

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And that’s it for today, bestie! What did you think? Have you tried a Valencian paella (with or without seafood) before? Let me know in the comments below.Born among the orchards, gardens, and groves around Valencia, the original paella draws on ingredients from the fields rather than the sea. Rabbit, chicken, and a few types of local beans form the heart of this rustic dish. Searing them in the pan, then simmering the meat and bones for 20 minutes before adding the rice, fortifies the stock for a more intensely flavored paella.

Paella Valenciana (valencian Paella) Recipe

In a small dry skillet, add the saffron over medium-high heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until the strands are brittle and darken slightly, 3–4 minutes. Remove to a small bowl and grind the saffron between fingers. Set aside.

Season the chicken and rabbit with 1 teaspoon salt. Combine the chicken stock with 4 cups water and set the meat and the stock mixture separately next to the stove.

In a 17- to 18-inch paella pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and rabbit pieces and cook, turning the pieces and rotating the pan as needed over the heat source, until the meat is deeply browned on all sides, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the green beans. Cook, stirring and turning the beans occasionally, until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the tomato and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes. Stir in the pimentón, then immediately pour in the stock mixture. Add the lima beans and saffron.

Recipe By Valencian Seafood Paella

Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil; reduce to a gentle boil and let cook, rotating the pan occasionally over the heat source as needed, for 20 minutes. Taste the liquid and add up to 1 tsp. salt if needed. Return the heat to high and bring the liquid back to a strong boil. Add the rosemary sprig, then sprinkle the rice around the pan. Using a wooden spoon, make sure the rice is evenly distributed and all the grains are submerged (this should be the last time you stir the paella); cook for 10 minutes over high heat. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig. Lower the heat to low and simmer gently, rotating the pan over the heat source as needed, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice grains are just tender but still have an al dente bite to them, 10–15 minutes. (If all of the liquid has evaporated and the rice is still not done, drizzle some additional stock or water over the rice where needed and continue cooking for a few minutes more.) If needed, to develop soccarat, turn the heat back up to medium and cook, watching and smelling closely for burning, until the rice at the bottom of the pan browns and crisps slightly, 1–2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Let the rice rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow the starches to firm up slightly. (If the top layer of rice seems a tad too firm, cover the pan with a few paper towels or a clean kitchen towel while it rests.)