Chicken and chorizo, stewed with green beans and white beans in a saffron-yellow stock until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and a crisp crust (the socarrat) forms on the bottom. The authentic inland version from Valencia, without seafood, as it has been made there for centuries.
Paella valenciana
Region: Valencia
Paella valenciana
Region: Valencia
Method
01
Fry the chicken and chorizo
Heat the olive oil in a paella pan (or large, wide pan) over a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken until golden brown all over, approx. 8 minutes. Add the chorizo and fry for another 2 minutes. Push everything to the edge of the pan.
02
Fry the vegetables
Fry the beans and pepper for approx. 5 minutes in the middle of the pan. Add the garlic and fry for 1 minute.
03
Make the sofrito
Add the grated tomato and the paprika and reduce for 5 minutes to a thick sofrito.
04
Add the rice
Spoon the chicken back into the middle and briefly mix everything together. Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated in oil and sofrito.
05
Add the stock
Crumble the saffron over the hot stock and pour it over the rice in one go. Add the white beans. Season with salt and pepper.
06
Cook without stirring
Bring to the boil, then turn the heat to low-medium and cook for 18–20 minutes without stirring; that is essential for a good paella. Turn the pan now and then for even cooking if your heat source doesn't reach the whole base.
07
Form the socarrat
For the last 1–2 minutes, turn the heat up a little to form a crisp, lightly burnt crust on the bottom (the socarrat); listen for a light crackling.
08
Rest and serve
Take off the heat, cover loosely with a tea towel and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Finish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Tips & notes
Never stir the rice once the stock has been added; like risotto but the other way round: with paella you want to leave it alone so the rice cooks evenly and the socarrat can form. Use genuine paella rice (bomba) if you can find it; it absorbs more liquid without turning mushy. Cool leftovers within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for a maximum of 1 day and reheat them until piping hot.
Variations
- Add rabbit alongside the chicken for the most authentic, traditional Valencian version.
- Replace the white beans with artichoke hearts for a spring variant.
Serve with
- Pisto manchego
| Calories | 763 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 42 g |
| Carbohydrates | 32 g |
| Fat | 53 g |
| Fibre | 3 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
