Recipes: Paella Valencia

Last update: September 12, 2007 - 3:55 PM

Paella ValenciaNA

Serves 4.

Note: These ingredients will fill a 12-inch paella pan.

• 1 c. green beans

• 6 chicken thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 1/4 c. olive oil

• 1 or more chopped onions, optional

• 1 or more garlic cloves, minced, optional

• 1 (15.5 oz.) can butter beans, drained

• 1 ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

• About 4 c. water

• Saffron threads

• 1 tsp. Spanish paprika

• Fresh rosemary sprigs, if desired

• 2 c. uncooked medium-grain rice

Directions

To blanch green beans, drop into boiling water for 1 minute, then plunge into cold water and drain; set aside.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper (or rub with garlic) before cooking.

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan directly over the flame; once the oil is hot, add the chicken. "An important trick is to sauté the meat well to achieve the best flavor," says Máximo. "Sauté almost to the point at which the meat would begin to get a little crisped." Use a medium heat so that the chicken browns slowly. (It should be almost cooked by the time you add the liquid and the rice.) Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add more olive oil if necessary. Add the onions and garlic. Stirring constantly, cook quickly, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Add the butter beans and green beans. Sauté a few minutes; then add the tomato.

Combine 1/4 cup water with a few crushed saffron threads and the Spanish paprika; stir until spices dissolve, then pour over mixture in the pan.

Add 4 cups water and bring to a boil. Add sprigs of rosemary, if desired. When liquid is boiling, add the rice, stirring to evenly distribute it.

Adjust heat to medium, and without stirring, cook for about 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed. (Do not stir the rice or you will end up with a risotto texture, not paella.)

"It's important to control really well the heat: The broth should boil uniformly, but moderately. You should see bubbles throughout the whole paella pan," advises Máximo. "If the heat is too strong, the liquid will cook away quickly and the rice will be hard. It's also important once the rice is added and spread around, not to stir the paella with the spatula anymore. If it's stirred, it won't allow the rice to cook correctly, apart from the fact that the paella's aesthetic will be destroyed."

Let paella rest 5 to 10 minutes, remove rosemary sprigs, and serve.

Variations (most Valencians do not mix seafood and meat together in paella)

For more flavor and spice: Add 1/4 pound cooked chorizo sausage, cut in 1/4-inch slices, artichoke hearts, additional onion and garlic; substitute chicken broth for the water.

For seafood paella: Use 1 pound small or medium shrimp, shelled, 6 to 8 mussels, cleaned and debearded, 8 small clams, 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, strips of red pepper; substitute fish stock for water.

For a vegan paella: Use 1 cup fresh or frozen peas, strips of yellow pepper, strips of green pepper, 1 cup lima beans; substitute vegetable broth for the water.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories 823 Fat 29 g Sodium 254 mg

Carbohydrates 99 g Saturated fat 6 g Calcium 76 mg

Protein 38 g Cholesterol 85 mg Dietary fiber 6 g