Rice
Paella Valenciana from Chef José Andrés
- Prep time 15 minutes
- Cook time 1 hour
- Serves 4 - 6
Author Notes
"In Valencia, where paella is made over fire, usually in large pans to feed family and friends, they use water to cook the rice, not stock. The combination of the fire, the chicken and rabbit pieces on the bone, and a longer cooking time, allows the water to turn into a rich stock right in the pan. For this recipe, I recommend you use a chicken stock to help give you some of the deep flavor that the fire gives to the dish. (Learn more about the history and efforts to define “real” paella Valenciana in my post from earlier this week!)
Be sure to watch your paella pan as it cooks, and look for where the stock is bubbling more vigorously, you may need to rotate your pan to distribute the heat and allow it to cook evenly. But do not stir the rice! Be patient. You will be astonished."—Chef José Andrés
—Food52
Test Kitchen Notes
Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons
Spanish extra virgin olive oil (https://shop.littlespain.com/products/arbequina-extra-virgin-olive-oil-jose-andres-foods-m-oo-102.html)
-
2
chicken thighs (bone-in), cut into small pieces
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2
rabbit legs, cut into small pieces
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Kosher salt
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1 cup
romano beans, cut into 1-inch pieces
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3/4 cup
cup garrafó beans, or peeled fresh fava beans
-
1
14-oz can crushed tomatoes
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1 pinch
saffron
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4 cups
chicken stock
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2 sprigs
fresh rosemary
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1 cup
Spanish bomba rice (https://shop.littlespain.com/products/calasparra-paella-rice-peregrino-m-rc-02.html)
Directions
- In a 13- or 15-inch paella pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high until it is hot but not smoking. Add the chicken and rabbit pieces. Sear the meats on all sides until well-browned, about 8 minutes, then season with salt. Move the meat pieces to the outer edges of the paella pan, creating a circle in the center.
- Add the romano and lima beans in the center of the pan and season with salt. Cook the beans until lightly browned, about 5 minutes, then push the beans to the outer edges of the paella pan with the meats.
- Pour the crushed tomato puree into the center of the pan and let it cook, stirring occasionally until it reduces by half and begins to turn a deep red color, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the meat and vegetables into the tomato and continue to cook for about 3 minutes more to continue to caramelize the tomato sauce.
- Crumble the saffron into the pan and add the stock. Season with salt and add the rosemary.
- Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, then let it boil for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove the rosemary and add the rice, taking care to spread it evenly around the pan and mixed with the meat and vegetables. Cook for 8 minutes on high flame, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. You should see the rice floating around the pan as the stock boils.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and do a final stir of the rice to make sure the meats and vegetables are evenly distributed across the pan. Cook for 10 minutes, and do not stir as the liquid cooks down. You want the rice to be slightly al dente, with a nice firm center. When you have 2 minutes left, there should be little liquid left in the pan, increase the heat to high to get the crunchy soccarat, the caramelized crust at the bottom of the pan. When the rice is done, remove the pan from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes before serving.
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