Paella
Paella has its roots in the rice fields around Valencia's Albufera lagoon, where farmworkers cooked Sunday meals over open fires fed by orange wood — the dish was named after the wide, shallow pan in which it was made. The original paella valenciana contained rabbit, chicken, green beans, white beans, and snails. Seafood paella is a later coastal adaptation that Valencians regard with polite disapproval. What separates great paella from ordinary rice is the socarrat: the dark, caramelised crust that forms on the pan bottom in the final minutes when all liquid has been absorbed and the rice begins to toast against the hot metal. You hear it rather than see it — a quiet sizzle that tells you the crust is forming without burning. The rice must never be stirred once the broth is added.
The socarrat
The caramelised crust on the pan bottom is the most prized element — you hear it forming as a quiet sizzle when all the liquid is gone
Never stir
Once the broth is added the rice must not be touched — stirring releases starch and destroys the socarrat forming beneath
Bomba rice only
Short-grain Bomba from Valencia swells to three times its size absorbing flavour without collapsing — long-grain rice goes mushy
Valencia's original
Paella valenciana had rabbit, chicken, and snails — seafood paella is a coastal adaptation that Valencians politely dispute
Ingredients 4 servings
- 300g bomba rice (or short-grain rice)
- 400g boneless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
- 300g raw prawns (shell-on or peeled)
- 400g mussels, scrubbed and debearded
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 400g canned crushed tomatoes
- ½ tsp saffron threads (soaked in 2 tbsp warm water)
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)
- 800ml warm chicken stock
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley and lemon wedges to serve
How to make it
- 1Soak saffron in 2 tbsp warm water; heat olive oil in a paella pan (or wide shallow pan) over medium-high heat.
- 2Season chicken, sear 4–5 minutes per side until deeply golden; remove and set aside; in the same pan fry onion 5 minutes, add garlic and red pepper, cook 3 more minutes.
- 3Add crushed tomatoes and smoked paprika, cook 3–4 minutes until thickened — this is the sofrito, the soul of the paella; add the rice, stir 1 minute to toast lightly.
- 4Pour in the warm stock with the saffron and its soaking water, spread evenly; return the chicken.
- 5Adjust to medium heat and do not stir again — never stir paella once the stock is added; cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
- 6Place prawns and mussels on top, pressing gently into the rice; cook 8–10 minutes more until prawns are pink and mussels open (discard any that stay shut).
- 7For socarrat (the coveted crispy bottom crust), raise to high heat the last 2 minutes — listen for a light crackling; rest 5 minutes; garnish with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Nutritional info
per serving (~400 ml)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
