Authentic Valencian Paella Recipes

PAELLA VALENCIANA

Steps:

• Heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of the oil in a pan. Add the strips of pepper and fry until they start to soften. Remove and reserve for garnish. Fry the chicken and rabbit at medium heat until golden brown, adding more oil, as necessary. Add the paprika half way through to add color to meat. Push the meat out to the edges of the pan and add the beans and tomatoes in the center, mixing them well. Add 1/2 the water making sure to cover the pan until it is 1/2 full. Simmer for approximately 30 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. Add the snails and cook for 5 or 10 minutes.
• Add the rice, distributing it evenly over the pan and fry for a few minutes, moving it around in the pan. Add the rest of the water and cook for about 20 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add a pinch of saffron for colour. Once this is done the paella should not be stirred anymore.
• For the last 1 to 2 minutes increase the heat to medium-high, until the bottom layer of rice starts to caramelize, creating what Valencians call the "socarrat". If the rice starts to burn remove the pan from the heat immediately.
• Garnish the paella with the strips of red pepper and the sprigs of rosemary. Cover the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

AUTHENTIC PAELLA VALENCIANA

Steps:

• Heat a paella pan over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil. Add the chicken, rabbit and garlic; cook and stir until nicely browned. Move the browned meat to the sides of the pan, and add the tomato, butter beans, peas, and green beans. Season with paprika, and mix well.
• Fill the paella pan almost to the top with water, measuring the water as you put it in. This is to help you to determine how much rice to add, as paella pans come in different sizes. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1 hour to make a nice broth.
• Season with a generous amount of salt, and just enough saffron to make a nice yellow color. Season with thyme and rosemary if desired. The goal is to make a rich tasting broth that will soak into the rice to make it delicious. Stir in half as much rice as the amount of water in the pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

TRADITIONAL VALENCIAN PAELLA

Steps:

• Start cooking the rice for about 20 minutes over decreasing heat.
• Heat the oil in a paella dish or large shallow frying pan.
• Add salt and meat to the oil in the paella pan and fry until it begins to turn gold.
• Add vegetables and when they are slightly fried add the paprika, water and saffron.
• After cooking the meats and vegetables add the rice, snails and more water (to replace the evaporated water).
• Add the sprig of rosemary to the centre of the paella during the last 10 minutes.
• Serve immediately.

AUTHENTIC VALENCIAN PAELLA

Steps:

• First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the seafood and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry until lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat.
• While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.
• Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt.
• After 20 minutes add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The heat should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook.
• Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the heat gets to all parts equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished.
• Take the paella off the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
• For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle. Now you are ready to dig into your paella with wooden spoons and eat directly from the paela pans!