Learn How To Make Paella Valenciana with Designation of Origin

From today you’ll know exactly how to cook the most delicious and authentic paella Valenciana as below we give you the traditional paella recipe step by step and strictly made with the ten paella ingredients required by the DO of paella Valenciana.

Since October 2011 Paella Valenciana has followed suit and is protected with a Designation of Origin. From that date on, any restaurant that offers paella Valenciana with this name must use the ten following ingredients:

1. Rice from Valencia
2. Extra-virgin olive oil
3. Chicken
4. Rabbit
5. Green beans
6. Garrofó, a large butter bean typical of Valencia
7. Tomato
8. Saffron
9. Water
10. Salt

It’s true, many people will be surprised that this paella Valenciana recipe doesn’t include seafood, but that’s because most people overseas associate paella with a rice dish with seafood. The Paella Valenciana DO is based in the traditional paella recipe that didn’t include seafood either except in some specific comarques or regions.

Notes on the paella ingredients and quantities

As paella becomes more known all over the world bomba rice has become famous as well and it seems that almost everybody uses it for cooking paella: particularly in households abroad and restaurants. You can use Valencia short-grain rice to make an authentic paella as well, we use it often, but actually bomba rice is just a little bit easier to get it right, that is, getting it grenyal. Grenyal means:

1. That the rice is al dente as Italian say for their cooked pasta

and

2. That rice grains are naturally bound together but at the same time, each rice grain keeps an identifiable individuality as a single grain.

Regarding the water, generally speaking, it’s double the rice amount if you use your stovetop and three times the rice amount if you use an open fire.

Ingredients for a Valencian paella

Being paella Valenciana such a special rice dish, this time we give you the amounts for 2, 4 and for 6 guests so that you don’t have to figure them up yourself.

You’ll see that the ingredients for 2 people are not exactly half of those for 4 guests and that’s because experience tells us that making paella is not maths.

Serves 4

Serves 6

8 tablespoons olive oil or 1/2 cup 400 g or 14 ounces rabbit — cut into small pieces 400 g or 14 ounces chicken — cut into small pieces 250 g or 1/2 pound flat green beans — stem ends cut off, and cut into about 4 cm or 1.5 inch pieces 150 g or 5 ounces garrofó or white butter beans 1 large tomato — peeled, and grated or ground 400 g or 14 ounces or 2 scant cups Valencian bomba or short-grain rice A few strands saffron Salt Boiling water — double to triple the rice amount.

12 tablespoons olive oil or 3/4 cup 600 g or 1 1/3 pounds rabbit — cut into small pieces 600 g or 1 1/3 pounds chicken — cut into small pieces 375 g or 14 ounces flat green beans – stem ends cut off, and cut into about 4 cm or 1.5 inch pieces 225 g or 1/2 pound ounces garrofó or white butter beans 1 1/2 large ripe tomato — peeled, and grated or ground 600 g or 1 1/3 pounds Valencian short-grain or bomba rice A few strands saffron Salt Boiling water — double to triple the rice amount.

Serves 2

4 tablespoons olive oil or 1/4 cup 300 g or 14 ounces rabbit — cut into small pieces 300 g or 14 ounces chicken — cut into small pieces 125 g or 4.5 ounces flat green beans — stem ends cut off, and cut into about 4 cm or 1.5-inch pieces 75 g or 2.5 ounces garrofó or white butter beans 1 medium-sized ripe tomato — about 75 g or 2.5 ounces when peeled, and grated or ground 200 g or 14 ounces or 2 scant cups Valencian short-grain or bomba rice A few strands saffron Salt Boiling water — double to triple the rice amount. See above.

Kitchen utensils for paella

You probably know by now that to make authentic paella you need a paella pan. If it’s traditional, the ones that rust, the better, they give paella a distinctive taste you never get with non-stick paella pans made with more modern materials.

A long wooden spoon is also good to have.

A paella burner can also be very useful or necessary depending on your conditions.

How to make paella

1. Salt the chicken and rabbit pieces.
2. Boil water and have it ready for step 8. Very important!
3. Add the olive oil to the paella pan and when it’s hot add the chicken and rabbit pieces and fry them over medium-high heat until they become golden-brown on both sides.
4. Move the meat pieces towards the edges of the paella pan and add the green beans and the garrofó beans (butter beans), stir and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Move the beans towards the edges of the paella pan, add the grated tomato, and cook for about 5 minutes or until the tomato has lost its water, stirring all the time.
6. Stir all ingredients in the paella pan together and cook for about 5 more minutes stirring frequently.
7. Add the rice as if it were rain, distributing it over the whole paella pan surface.
8. Immediately add the boiling water. Add the saffron. Add salt to taste. If you are making the paella over an open fire, at this point the wood fire should be at its strongest; if you are cooking it over your kitchen top make sure the heat source is set to high.
9. From now on, you shouldn’t stir the paella anymore. Cook the paella Valenciana for about 17 to 20 minutes depending on the rice. For the first 10 minutes the outdoor wood fire should be strong or the kitchen heat source high. After the first 10 minutes, let the wood fire die down, or turn the heat to medium if you are cooking your paella indoors.
10. Remove the paella pan from the wood fire or heat source. Cover it with two or three sheets of newspaper or Manila paper, and let it rest for 5 minutes. You can now enjoy your paella Valenciana with DO with your guests.

Here we give you some tips on how to eat paella according to tradition apart from some tips and interesting notes about this jewel of Mediterranean recipes.

Have you tried the Paella Valenciana recipe indoors or outdoors? Share your experience in the comments below.