The authentic Valencian paella recipe that you should try

Valencian's paella is a variation of the traditional Spanish paella recipe that we all know, only that it has been modified by the people of Valencia. This is common to enjoy during the local holidays.

Saucer allows you to enjoy the seasoning of Valencia gathered and summarized in rice, thanks to all the ingredients that accompany it. However, although it sounds complex, it is actually very simple to prepare.

Next, we will explain everything you need to know to prepare this rice, including some tips and recommendations to make your recipe perfect.

Valencian's paella ingredients

• 150 ml of extra virgin olive oil.

• 400 grams of round rice.

• Salt to taste.

• 700 grams of chopped chicken.

• Saffron to taste.

• 500 grams of chopped rabbit.

• Two tablespoons of sweet paprika.

• 350 grams of green "bassinet".

• Three or four tablespoons of "xonete" species (it all depends on the number of diners).

• Three cloves of garlic (finely chopped).

• 150 grams of beans from Pinet.

• 4 heaping tablespoons of crushed natural tomato.

• 250 grams of carob.

• A few meatballs previously made with ground bread and spices. (optional)

Recommendations and tips for a perfect paella recipe

• Rabbit and chicken are the two types of meat that are used in authentic Valencian paella. Depending on the city where you are, you can vary this type of meat. A good option is to change the chicken meat for another bird and the rabbit for pork.

• One of the tricks of the Valencian paella is that the meat must be well fried. Therefore, make sure to cook the meat well during the stir-fry step.

• For the paella to have an authentic Valencian flavor and seasoning, it is not convenient to load it with too many ingredients, but to use the right ones.

• Ideally, at the time of stir-frying, a little meat gauze remains attached to the paella, so that when you add the water, it releases its flavor in the paella.

• Some vegetables on the ingredient list are typical that are only available in Valencia and can be difficult to find in your country. However, you can exchange them for the ones you get in your country, but they do not fall apart during cooking.

• You can look at the screws of the paella pan to know how far to pour water into it. Also, always remember that for the amount of water you have added, you should add only half of this amount of rice.

• Take into account that depending on the type of rice, its cooking may vary.

• For the paella to have an authentic Valencian flavor, you should never add cheese or chorizo, as the paella will lose its flavor. Its authentic flavor is given by the combination of two meats with vegetables.

Steps for preparing Valencian paella

Note: This recipe is a bit long and the sequence can be tricky to understand. Therefore, we will divide it into phases to make it easier to understand.

Sauté in the paella pan

1. In a large paella pan and over high heat, add enough oil, which covers its entire surface. To do this, you can move the paella pan so that the oil soaks the entire surface.

2. Add the rabbit and chicken to sauté for a couple of minutes. With the help of a spoon or trowel, skip a little so that they have a homogeneous cooking on both sides.

3. Add some strips of peppers to the sauce, so that they cook for later decoration.

4. Add a little salt over the sauce, as this will prevent the oil from splashing too much in this step.

5. Once the pepper is fried, remove from the pan and reserve for decoration.

6. Add the vegetables from the list of ingredients previously chopped and sauté in the company of the meat to fry them.

7. Add the minced garlic and sauté being careful not to burn it. Next, add three tablespoons of ground sweet paprika and the tomato. With this, you will notice how the paella is dyed red.

Prepare the rice

1. Add enough water to the paella pan until it is full.

2. Let the water boil for about a quarter of an hour, that is 15 minutes.

3. When you notice that the water boils, add a little food coloring and let it boil a little more.

4. Spread the rice over the paella pan, so that it is distributed over the entire surface. With the help of a spoon or paddle, move the rice so that it integrates with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Let it cook for 18 to 20 minutes over medium heat.

6. Taste the seasoning of the salt and add a little more to taste.

7. Add a few meatballs, if you like, this step is optional, but offers a better and authentic traditional Valencian flavor.

8. Add the pepper strips that we had reserved previously and put them in the paella pan as a decoration.

9. Let the broth be consumed, but taking into account that the rice must be whole, dry and loose, but without being raw.

10. When you notice that the rice is ready, remove the paella from the heat and serve it on the plates.

Optional final step

If you like, once you notice that the rice is ready, lower the heat to a minimum and let the paella cook a little longer so that the rice sticks a little to the bottom. This gives you a final touch of authentic Valencian cuisine.

This is because in ancient times, this rice was made with firewood and this last step tries to recreate this.

Conclusions of the recipe for authentic Valencian paella

Valencian's paella is a delicious and ideal dish to taste during a festive date, or when you want to surprise your guests with your culinary skills. As you may have noticed, it is not complicated to do, so we encourage you to try it at home.