Ø14" / Ø36cm Paella pan (we used a 11" / 28cm skillet)
Ingredients
1lbChicken
½lbRabbit
2tablespoonsCooking oil
2teaspoonsSalt
½ / 50gItalian green peppersliced
⅞cupItalian flat green beans1" / 2.5cm chopped
⅞cupArtichokes1" / 2.5cm size - optional
2clovesClovesfinely cut or grated
2medium Tomatoesgrated tomato
½cupGaroffon Butter beans for paellafollow instructions on packaging for soaking before cooking if necessary
½teaspoonPaprika
7cupsWaterneeds to be adjusted to rice water absorption properties
¼teaspoonSaffroncrucial
1¼cupBomba rice for paella
Instructions
Cut the meat up into equal chunks. De-boning the chicken thighs and drumsticks will determine the size but if we use bone in chicken, just chop the part in half. Traditional Valencian Paella has rabbit that can be substituted with chicken.
Heat oil to medium high in a paella pan or lack of that, in our trusty skillet. Salt and sear the pieces of meat. Mind the meat don't overlap as it will not sear properly. This is why we need a big enough pan / skillet for this job. Do it in batches if necessary. Once the bottom of the meat develops a golden brown crust, flip it around, about 5 minutes.
Sear the other side of the meat to develop some golden brown crust, about another 5 minutes.
Add the green vegetables such as green pepper, Italian flat green beans and the seasonal, hence optional artichokes. Move the bits around so the vegetables get to the bottom. Optionally remove the meat. Stir-fry on high heat (sauté) the vegetables until starting to get soft, about 3 minutes.
Finely cut the garlic, grate tomatoes (or pulse in a food processor (don't tell)).
Add garlic, tomatoes, and Garoffon butter beans to the paella. Move it around so all the pieces get to the bottom then sauté until the liquid evaporates and the paella is starting to develop a thick sauce.
Meanwhile get the saffron ready. It's a crucial, yet delicate process so be mindful here. We can do this in a skillet but we may have more control this way. Fold a little poach and place the saffron inside. Heat the poach from the outside from afar slowly until we can start to smell the saffron. It takes a couple of seconds. Keep an eye on the saffron, if it smokes we've just overdone it. The goal is to lightly roast it, not to burn it.
Place the roasted saffron into a spice grinder and pulverize it.
Mix paprika into the paella. As much as saffron, paprika doesn't like direct heat very much so once mixed in, don't wait too long with the next step.
Add water, bring it to boil then mix in the saffron. Water amount depends on the rice we use. If our pan is not big enough then measure the necessary amount and add the water in batches during cooking. Use some of the water to clean the spice grinder and tools we usedit so no saffron goes to waste. Don't forget to add back the meat if it was removed in previous steps because of lack of space.
Reduce heat to simmer then cook away half of the total amount of water, about 25 minutes. Mix in the rice and arrange the bits and pieces to our liking because from now on, the paella shouldn't be touched until it is done. We should have 3 times as much water as rice in our pan now.
Cook the paella until the water evaporates and the dish final form appears, about 15 minutes.
Paella needs to have a crust developed by frying the starches in the rice. It can be a tricky process for beginners as it runs the risk of burning our lovely dish down. Increase the heat to medium and fry the bottom layer of the rice, about 1 - 3 minutes. In a not so visible place, check for the crust if necessary. It should have a hard but definitely not black crust developed. Take the pot of the hob, temperature and time necessary for the results and adjust for next time.
Add a twig of rosemary on top then cover the paella with a kitchen cloth until served.