The variety of rice dishes and paellas is fantastic that are part of our gastronomy, I would say that there is something for all tastes and if we also add the fideuás, the possibilities are multiplied. The most beautiful thing is that this type of traditional recipes do not have an exact guide to followor at least I live it that way, since in each house they are prepared in a different way and depending on the region they usually give it a different touch out of habit or according to the ingredients that are usually more available.
The Valencian paella is one of the best known and I want to show you how I prepare it. The list of ingredients that are usually used is quite limited, so among them I choose the ones that we like the most at home and I assure you that it is one of the rice dishes that we usually prepare the most for its flavor and also for its simplicity, since it does not cost anything to prepare it .
I recently made one survey on social networks asking how they usually prepare Valencian paella and I received answers of all kinds, all more or less similar to mine but each one with its tricks, some ingredients more or less, its times, its customs… I love to think that I could spend my whole life trying paellas and continue to surprise myself of the touch that each person gives.
If you like this recipe you will love our selection of rice where tradition is mixed with international cuisine, and you will discover new ways to taste this versatile ingredient. We start with a classic, the chicken riceone of the simplest and with which all diners usually enjoy, as is the case with rice with vegetables or vegetable paella or the rice with mushrooms. If you want to enjoy baked rice, nothing better than preparing a traditional Valencian Oven Style Rice or the curious baked crusted rice, traditional from Elche.
Going to sea products, we have authentic classics such as seafood paellathe black rice with cuttlefish and prawns and homemade alioli saucethe rice with fresh codthe rice with squidthe famous plenty of rice and of course could not miss the delicious Caldero del Mar Menor, the Murcian rice a banda, one of my favorite rice dishes. For those looking for something exquisite, the Rice with lobster It is perfect for special occasions or the Rice With Octopus which is finished in the oven.
If we move on to the fideuás, surely you will like our recipe for Seafood and fish fideuá with walnut aliolithe chicken and vegetable fideuá with homemade alioli sauce, our most special version, the Fideuá in the style of the Ebro Deltawhose fish broth is the basis of its delicious flavor.
Ingredients to make Valencian paella (4 people):
- 400 gr of bomba type rice.
- 1 liter of water (the amount is usually between double and triple the weight of the rice).
- 1 kg of chopped chicken.
- 1/2 kg of chopped rabbit. I have not used rabbit because I do not eat it, but Valencian paella always has it and is prepared in the same way as chicken.
- 100 gr of beans or green beans.
- 100 gr of locust bean. I have only been able to get them frozen.
- 4 fresh artichokes.
- A little lemon juice to prevent the oxidation of the artichokes.
- 100 gr of tomato, either fresh or canned crushed or sifted.
- 1/2 dessert spoon of sweet paprika.
- 1/2 dessert spoon of coloring (optional).
- 7-8 threads of saffron.
- A sprig of rosemary, fresh or dried.
- Olive oil and salt.
Preparation, how to make the traditional Valencian paella recipe:
- Ask the butcher to remove the skin chicken and they chop up both the chicken with the rabbit. If they do it with the electric saw it is much better to avoid loose ossicles.
- put your Paella over medium heat (for those who don’t know, the container is called paella, not paellera) with olive oilthat covers the fair bottom.
- When it’s hot pour the chicken and the rabbit along with a bit of Salt and when they are golden on the side attached to the paella, move them or turn them over and so on until they are completely golden. They usually take about 10 minutes and I recommend using kitchen tongs to make it very easy for you to change the position of each piece.
- Meanwhile wash the green beanscut off the ends and cut into 4 parts.
- To clean the artichokes Remove with your own hands the outermost and hardest leaves until you reach those that are a little yellower and softer. Peel (ideally with a potato peeler) the tail and finally cut the lower end of the artichoke. You can see the whole process in the following photograph:
- Go putting them in a bowl full of Water with a splash of lemon juice to prevent them from rusting.
- When is the meat list remove it to a separate plate. At that moment I take out the artichokes of the water, dry them with kitchen paper and cut them in half and each half into 4 parts.
- Throw the artichokes along with the green beans in the paella and a little Salt and cook over medium heat until lightly browned. He sees turning them over from time to time.
- if you are going to use tomatoes natural, wash it and finely chop it.
- When the vegetables be ready throw the tomatoes on top and cook for about 5 minutes or until its water has evaporated and it begins to stick a little to the paella (the natural tomato will take a little longer than the canned sifted tomato).
- Remove the artichokes to a separate plate so that the rest of the ingredients do not oxidize (we would obtain a quite black paella).
- Add them back to the paella meats and sprinkle on top sweet paprika and the saffron.
- Add the Water necessary, in this case for 4 people it is about 1 liter, together with a little Salt. Look at where the water level is and remember it or take a photo of it because later you will have to add water up to there if it has evaporated.
- put the rosemary in a colander and place it in the paella, so that the rosemary is submerged in the liquid but without coming out of the colander.
- Increase the heat so that it is high and when the water boils and bubbles, lower it so that it is soft but still bubbles a little and cook for about 25 or 30 minutes, until you check that the meats are tender. If a lot of water is evaporating, you can add it so that it continues to reach the initial mark, better if it is hot (you can heat it for a few seconds in the microwave). I also usually turn the pieces of meat from time to time so that they cook on all sides.
- take more Water heat if necessary so that there is the same amount of liquid as at the beginning and taste the broth in case you have to rectify it Salt. Add the Colorant and stir it a little so that it dissolves.
- cast the garrofon and the rice and move the paella a little, holding it by its handles so that it is evenly distributed.
- Increase the heat so that it is at medium-high temperature and cook the rice for 8 minutes. Remember that it should not be removed at any time.
- After that time, reduce the heat so that it is soft and barely bubbling for 10 more minutes. When there are only a few minutes left, taste it: if there is practically no liquid left and it is still quite hard, add a little more hot water. If you notice that it is practically done, do not add more liquid and let the cooking time finish.
- When it is to your liking, you can let it rest for 5 minutes before taking it to the table or give it a dot charred, that is, slightly roasted on the bottom. To do so, when you have it ready, raise the heat so that the temperature is medium-high and cook it like this for 2-3 minutes.
Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Difficulty: easy
Serve and taste:
Once the rice has rested serve immediately because the ideal is drink it fresh and hot. You can put the paella in the center of the table on a protector so as not to burn the tablecloth and distribute it among the diners’ plates. If you have leftover rice you can store it for 3 days in the fridge, but do not freeze it because it does not keep its texture well.
The mixture of meat and vegetables with the rice is a delight, the set is very tasty and if you have left the rice at its point, the Valencian paella will be authentic… scandal!
Variants of the traditional Valencian paella recipe:
About there is consensus on the basic ingredients of the Valencian paella which are the ones I have used but I have also included some such as paprika, rosemary or artichokes that depend more on the customs of each house and, in the case of artichokes, on whether they are in season.
It is also a classic to add other ingredients like snails, use duck meat or dried garlic.
Tips:
get the perfect rice It depends on your experience, on following the recipe step by step and above all on knowing your pan or paella and the power of your fire. The first times you prepare a paella or rice, you should taste the rice and observe it because if it has run out of liquid very soon or if it is a few minutes away and you try it and it is hard, you should add more hot water.
The rice is ready when You try it in the paella and it is a bit harder than how you like to eat it since with the final minutes of rest it will finish cooking.
