Paella Valenciana Recipe

The Paella Valenciana recipe is considered the authentic paella recipe. Paella Valenciana has a truly protected status. Since 2014, Paella Valenciana has been part of the official cultural heritage of the region of Valencia. Of all the paella recipes, this Paella Valenciana recipe, with chicken and rabbit is undoubtedly the most authentic.

This does not mean that popular varieties, such as seafood paella with prawns and clams, or chicken paella are less tasty. This is a matter of personal taste. The Paella Valenciana recipe is part of the cultural heritage of the Valencia region in Spain. A paella can only bear the name Paella Valenciana if it is prepared according to the original recipe.

Recommended equipment for this Paella Valenciana recipe

When making this really authentic Paella Valenciana, the use of the right equipment is very important. For example, a good quality paella pan is absolutely essential to achieve a good end result. Also the use of a paella burner is highly recommended because it optimally distributes the heat under the paella pan. Here you can find out which equipment is recommended for which number of servings:

Equipment for 10 servings

• 24 inch / 60 cm steel paella pan
• 24 inch / 60 cm enameled steel paella pan
• 16 inch / 40 cm paella gas burner
• Paella skimmer

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Ingredients for this Paella Valenciana recipe

Select the number of servings you want to make of this Paella Valenciana and check the ingredients and quantities you need right away.

Ingredients for 10 servings

10 tbsp olive oil
2 1/2 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks
2 1/2 lb rabbit meat
1 2/3 lb romano beans
1 1/8 lb soaked or canned garrofón or butter beans
4 tsp sweet paprika powder
5 tomatoes
50 threads saffron
1 1/4 gal water
3 sprigs rosemary
2 1/2 lb bomba rice
Salt

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Preparations for this Paella Valenciana recipe

Good preparation is essential when making paella. Once the heat is on, it is important to focus all your attention on cooking and not on peripheral issues such as too much wind, a wobbly paella pan, an empty gas bottle or ingredients that still appear to be in the fridge…

Preparing location and equipment

Before you can start cooking this authentic Paella Valenciana recipe, it is important to find a suitable location and make sure all materials and ingredients are in order and ready. The following checklists may help you with this:

Heat source checklist

• Is there enough gas in the gas bottle, do you have enough charcoal for the BBQ or do you have enough wood for the wood fire?
• Is the heat source solid enough to carry the paella pan and is it properly mounted?
• In case of a paella burner or gas barbecue, is the gas bottle well connected and is the gas bottle far enough away from the heat source?
• Is the paella burner solid and not wobbling?
• Is the heat source positioned in a wind-free/sheltered place?
• Is the heat source placed where ( grease ) splashes can’t do any harm?
• Is the paella burner level as much as possible? (tip: pour some water in the paella pan and place the pan on the heat source. If the water stays in the middle of the pan, the pan is level).

Checklist for the paella pan

• Is the paella pan clean, free of dust, and are any rust spots removed?
• Does the size of the paella pan match the number of portions of paella you are going to make?
• Does the paella pan fit the heat source you are going to use? Is the entire paella pan heated and is the heat evenly distributed under the pan?
• Is the paella pan positioned firmly and level on the heat source?

Checklist other matters

• Are all the cooking utensils you need within easy reach?
• Are the heat source and the paella pan placed out of reach of children and pets?
• Are the ingredients cleaned, cut and prepared as described in the recipe?
• Are the ingredients within easy reach?
• Do you wear suitably fitted and solid clothing that won’t easily catch fire?
• Do you have any fire fighting equipment nearby in case something catches on fire? Such as a bucket of water, a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket.

Preparing the ingredients

In addition to choosing a suitable location and preparing all equipment, the ingredients also need to be prepared.

Of course, you can do it earlier, but at least half an hour before you start cooking the paella, it’s time to prepare the remaining ingredients for this Paella Valenciana recipe. After all, you want to have all the ingredients prepared and at hand when the paella pan is put on the heat source.

The ingredients of this Paella Valencia recipe should be prepared as follows:

Olive oil – measure and set aside.
Chicken – halve chicken thighs, leave drumsticks whole.
Rabbit – cut into pieces as large as the chicken.
Romano beans – wash and cut into pieces of about 2″.
Garrofón or butter beans – rinse and drain.
Sweet paprika powder – measure and set aside.
Tomato – grate and keep the pulp.
Saffron threads – soak in a little bit of hot water.
Water – measure and set aside.
Rosemary sprig – rinse and set aside.
Bomba rice – measure and set aside in a dry container.

When the preparation of the ingredients is ready, collect them all and, together with a nice cold drink for yourself, move them towards the paella pan and heat source. This way, you have everything at your fingertips, and all you have to do is add the ingredients to the paella in the right order.

Cooking instructions for this Paella Valenciana recipe

1. Place the paella pan over medium heat and pour in the olive oil.
2. As soon as the olive oil is hot, add the chicken and rabbit meat.
3. Fry the meat for about 20 minutes until golden brown, adding a little salt.
4. Add the green beans and garrofón beans and fry them until they develop a nice, light brown color.
5. Now make space in the middle of the pan and sprinkle in the paprika powder. Immediately after that add the grated tomato and mix it with the paprika powder.
6. Fry the tomato for about two minutes and mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
7. Add the soaked saffron (including the liquid) and mix immediately with the rest of the ingredients.
8. Add the water and the whole sprig of rosemary and bring to a boil.
9. After adding the water, measure the exact amount of liquid in the pan. This can be done with a spoon, a twig, or even a ruler.
10. Let it all boil over high heat, allowing it to develop into nice stock. In the meantime, add salt to taste.
11. Once just under half of the liquid has evaporated (measure again), add the paella rice. Mix the paella rice with the rest of the ingredients. Make sure that all the rice is covered by liquid and spread the ingredients evenly across the pan. Remove the rosemary sprig from the pan.
12. Let the paella cook on high heat until the top layer of rice almost rises above the liquid. This usually takes around eight minutes.
13. Turn the heat down and let the paella boil until all the moisture has evaporated. Generally, this also takes about eight minutes.
14. When you hear that the paella starts to fry, all the moisture has evaporated.
15. Now turn off the heat and let the paella sit for about five minutes.

How to make this Paella Valenciana recipe?

More delicious paella recipes

Seafood paella recipe – The most iconic paella
Chicken Paella recipe – Very popular all around the world
Mixed Paella recipe – Paella for all tastes
Vegetarian Paella recipe – With lots of vegetables of your choice
Squid Ink Paella recipe – Intensely black colored seafood paella