Equipment
Ingredients
Proteins
- 400 g bone-in chicken thighs, chopped into 5cm pieces
- 400 g bone-in rabbit pieces, chopped into 5cm pieces
Vegetables
- 200 g flat green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 4cm pieces
- 100 g large white lima beans, cooked
- 150 g tomato, grated, skin discarded
Aromatics and Base
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil
- 5 g sweet smoked paprika
- 1 g saffron threads
- 1 fresh rosemary, whole sprig
- 1400 ml water
- 15 g salt
Rice
- 400 g bomba rice, dry, unrinsed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 1004 kcal
- Protein
- 50 g
- Carbohydrates
- 101 g
- Fat
- 43 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 5 g
- Sodium
- 1598 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 9 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 23 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 7 g
- Cholesterol
- 155 mg
- Potassium
- 1274 mg
- Calcium
- 79 mg
- Iron
- 6.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 140 mg
- Phosphorus
- 594 mg
- Zinc
- 4.9 mg
- Vitamin A
- 88 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 12 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 4.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 41 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 7.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.43 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.46 mg
- Niacin
- 14.6 mg
- Folate
- 140 mcg
- Water
- 586 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare all vegetables and proteins. Handle raw poultry and rabbit on separate cutting boards from ready-to-eat ingredients to prevent cross-contamination.
Place the paella pan over medium heat and add the extra virgin olive oil. Ensure the pan is level so the oil gathers in the center.
Add the chicken and rabbit pieces to the pan. Sear slowly and thoroughly on all sides until deep golden brown. This builds the fundamental flavor base. Note: Poultry and rabbit must eventually reach an internal temperature of 74C/165F during the simmering phase.
Push the browned meat to the cooler outer edges of the pan. Add the flat green beans and lima beans to the center. Saute until they begin to blister and soften.
Push the vegetables to the edges. Add the grated tomato to the center of the pan. Fry until the tomato loses its water and darkens, then add the sweet smoked paprika. Stir quickly for 30 seconds to toast the paprika without burning it.
Pour in the water. Add the saffron threads, the rosemary sprig, and salt. Bring the liquid to a rolling boil over high heat, then let it boil to create a rich broth. Remove and discard the rosemary sprig before it overpowers the broth.
Sprinkle the rice evenly across the pan in a cross pattern, then use a slotted spoon to distribute it gently into an even layer so all grains are submerged. From this moment on, do not stir the rice.
Boil vigorously for the first 8 minutes. As the liquid level drops below the surface of the rice, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue to cook until the liquid is fully absorbed. Listen carefully for a crackling, frying sound at the end, which indicates the formation of the socarrat (the caramelized crust on the bottom).
Remove the paella pan from the heat. Cover the entire pan with a clean kitchen towel or newspaper and let it rest for 5 minutes. This final resting phase allows the starches to settle and any residual surface moisture to steam the top layer of rice evenly.
Chef's Notes
- The socarrat is the true benchmark of a master paella. It is the caramelized, highly savory crust of rice at the bottom of the pan. Achieving it requires trusting your ears; you must listen for a gentle frying crackle during the last minutes of cooking. If it smells like burning carbon, remove the pan from the heat immediately.
- Bomba rice absorbs roughly three times its volume in liquid, unlike standard short-grain rice which absorbs only twice its volume. This high absorption rate makes it ideal for soaking up the rich, saffron-laced meat broth without bursting.
- Never, under any circumstances, stir the rice once it has been leveled in the broth. Stirring agitates the grains, releasing starches into the liquid, which yields a creamy, sticky texture inappropriate for an authentic dry-grained paella.
- A true Paella Valenciana does not contain seafood or chorizo. While mixed paellas are popular globally, the authentic Valencian preparation reflects its inland, agricultural origins utilizing rabbit, chicken, local snails, and field beans.
- Do not wash or rinse the Bomba rice before cooking. You want the exterior starches intact to help thicken the broth just enough to coat the grains before the liquid evaporates.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The prized socarrat texture will soften when refrigerated.
Freezer: 1 month — Freezing is not recommended as the rice texture degrades and becomes mushy when thawed.
Reheating: Reheat in a wide skillet over medium heat with a splash of water until warmed through and the moisture has evaporated.
Troubleshooting
Rice is hard in the center but all the liquid in the pan has evaporated.
Cause: The heat was too high, causing the water to boil off before the rice could hydrate fully.
Fix: Sprinkle 60ml of hot water evenly over the dry areas, immediately cover the pan tightly with foil or a damp kitchen towel, and let it rest off the heat for 10 minutes to steam.
Prevention: Ensure even heat distribution, match the pan size to the burner, and control the simmer precisely during the final 10 minutes.
The rice is gummy, mushy, or resembles risotto.
Cause: Stirring the rice after it was distributed, or using the wrong variety of rice (like arborio or long-grain).
Fix: Cannot be fixed. Spread it out on a baking sheet to try and dry it slightly in an oven, but the texture will remain compromised.
Prevention: Never stir the pan once the rice is added, and strictly use Spanish short-grain rice like Bomba or Senia.
Bottom of the rice smells acrid and burnt instead of toasted.
Cause: Heat was left on high for too long after the liquid evaporated, burning the socarrat.
Fix: Do not scrape the bottom when serving. Only serve the top layers of rice to avoid mixing the burnt flavor into the dish.
Prevention: Listen closely for the shift from a wet bubbling sound to a dry crackling frying sound, and remove from heat immediately.
Cultural Context
Originating in the fields of Valencia on the eastern coast of Spain, Paella refers to the wide, shallow iron pan it is cooked in rather than the dish itself. Farm workers historically cooked this meal over open fires built from dried orange tree branches, utilizing ingredients readily available from the surrounding land such as rabbit, chicken, snails, and local beans. The wide shape of the pan maximizes surface area for evaporation, ensuring the rice cooks in a thin layer to maximize the prized socarrat.
