Paella Valenciana

Recipe for 4 persons:

Ingredients:

500 g chicken with bones, cut into bite-sized pieces

500 g rabbit with bones, cut into bite-sized pieces

260 g green beans

140 g fresh lima beans, or dried beans soaked for 24 hours

200 g finely diced or puréed tomatoes

360 g paella short grain rice or risotto rice

720 liters chicken broth

100 ml extra virgin olive oil

a pinch of saffron

1 teaspoon yellow food coloring or curcuma

1 teaspoon sweet paprika powder

salt to taste

1 lemon

optional: a few sprigs of rosemary

Preparation:

Sear the meat at a high temperature in the paella pan for few minutes until it is golden brown.

Add the beans and tomatoes and stir. After a few minutes, add the uncooked rice and sautée the mixture for a few minutes.

Now deglaze the paella with chicken broth. Twice as much liquid as rice is needed. Season with saffron, paprika, and salt. The broth can be a bit salty, because the rice absorbs it and the seasoning.

Cook the rice mixture at a high temperature for five more minutes, then turn the heat down to a slow simmer. If the water has evaporated but the rice is still hard, add water. Do not stir the rice once it is in the pan; this allows the "socarat," the tasty crust of the paella, to form at the bottom of the pan. If desired, now add a few sprigs of rosemary.

The paella is ready after about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with a sheet of newspaper, and let it continue to absorb water and swell for about ten minutes.

Serve with lemon wedges.

¡Qué aproveche!

This recipe comes to us courtesy of chef Roberto Blanco from La Pepica restaurant in Valencia, Spain.