A Classic Spanish Recipe for Real Paella

Spain is a vast country of diverse landscapes, taking in snow-capped mountains, rugged and arid desert, golden-sand beaches and vibrant metropolises. This geographical disparity is reflected in its food culture, so it’s hardly surprising that paella has as many different guises as the country has regions. As Doña María Vanaclocha once said, “All paellas are rices, but not all rices are paellas”, and to track down the original ‘real’ paella recipe, we’ll have to turn to Valencia.

Originating in Valencia’s Albufera coastal lagoons – the biggest rice-growing region in Spain – paella is one of the country’s best-loved dishes. It was originally regarded as peasant food for farm workers and cooked over a wood fire, with rice and any foodstuff close at hand added to a large flat pan – called a ‘paella’ in Catalan Spanish – such as garlic, green peppers, tomatoes, onions, perhaps a few beans, snails, rabbit or duck. Chicken and saffron were added on special occasions, and the dish was traditionally eaten straight from the pan, with each person having their own wooden spoon.

As Valencia itself is a coastal region, it’s small wonder that fresh seafood soon crept into the original recipe. As rice became widely available across Spain, paella Valenciana ingredients were quickly adapted and adopted into local gastronomy, and today there are many dishes grouped together under the name ‘paella’. 

Paella is dear to Iberian hearts as it is one of the most social dishes in their culinary lexicon. It’s easy to see why – eating paella creates an instant party! Families congregate in restaurants to dive into enormous platters of paella, it’s cooked at home on weekends, at the beach, at picnics, at fiestas including Buñol’s madcap1 La Tomatina…  And there are fiercely fought paella competitions held all over Spain, the source of much noisy debate about the authenticity of the paella recipes used.

To become a paella master, you’ll need to create the perfect paella Valenciana. Work with traditional chicken and rabbit, or go for seafood or vegetarian options. Whatever real paella recipe you choose, you’ll need top-quality, fresh, seasonal and local ingredients to star in the pan – just as they did all those centuries ago in Valencian fields. Feeding up to 10 people, here’s a recipe for the best paella in Benidorm, served at Malaspina restaurant.

Ingredients

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 kg chicken thighs
• 1 kg chopped rabbit
• 300 g peeled, de-seeded cherry tomatoes
• 100 g green peppers, chopped
  
• Salt
• 6 g smoked paprika
• 3.5 l water, heated
• 500 g tender green beans
• 250 g garrofón (Valencian white beans or any you can find locally)
• 2 dozen snails (optional)
• A few strands of saffron
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 1 kg Albufera round rice or bomba rice

Method

• Heat the olive oil in the pan, and add the chicken and rabbit. 
• Sauté the meat until lightly browned. 
• Fry the tomatoes and peppers together for 8 minutes. 
• Add a pinch of salt, the meat and paprika. Fry on a gentle heat. 
• Add water and simmer for around half an hour. 
• After 20 minutes, add the green beans and garrofón. 
• Add snails if you are using them. 
• When the half hour is up, add more hot water and continue boiling for 3 or 4 minutes. 
• Add the saffron and rosemary. Simmer for 5 minutes. 
• Add the rice and cook for 5 minutes over a high heat to reduce. Do not stir.
• Remove from the heat and stand until the remaining stock is absorbed by the rice. Serve straight from the pan.

What’s the secret to a perfect paella? Here’s what renowned Accor chefs have to say about getting that rice just right.

• Paella is offered in many Spanish restaurants, but it cannot be cooked in advance and should take at least half an hour for all the moisture in the rice to be absorbed.
• Paella should be cooked in a large, wide and flat pan to allow the water to soak right through the layers of rice.
• Chefs often leave onions out of proper paella recipes as they contain a lot of water and can make the rice go soft.
• The pan should be left uncovered so the rice doesn’t go soggy; paella rice needs to be served al dente.
• Authentic paellas have a crispy crust called socarrat to the bottom layer of rice. This caramelised rice is highly prized in a real paella recipe, but will not form if you stir the pan after rice has been added.

You’ll find the perfect partner for your real paella recipe among the Spanish pantheon of wines. Outstanding Accor baristas can recommend the following pairings.

• White wine: crisp Spanish white wines like Albariño or Verdejo go well with seafood paella.
• Rosé wine: fresh Navarra rosados are a good combination with paella mixta.
• Red wine: a fruity Rioja is an excellent accompaniment to the robust flavours of traditional paella Valenciana.
• Dessert wine: try an aromatic Moscatel from Valencia with arroz negro.
• Sparkling wine: a dryish Cava can lift the taste of all variations on paella. 

Ingredients

• 1.5 l lemonade
• 300 ml cranberry juice
• 300 ml orange juice
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Ice cubes
• 1 sliced orange
• 1 sliced lemon
• 1 sliced lime
• Sliced seasonal berries
• Shredded fresh mint leaves

Method

• Pour the lemonade, juices and balsamic vinegar into a jug. Stir.
• Add the ice, sliced fruits and mint. Stir.
• Serve in large wine glasses.

How diverse is Spanish cuisine? As well as being influenced by the variety of its landscapes, the culinary culture of Spain is shaped by its former rulers, including the Ancient Greeks, Romans and the Moors. From Andalusia to the Basque Country, you’ll find different takes on dishes like tapas, chilled gazpacho soup and vanilla custard flan, so it’s not surprising that the classic paella Valenciana has also evolved across the regions.

• If you can’t decide between meat and seafood in your paella, make a beeline for Castellón, north of Valencia. It’s home of the paella mixta cooked with chicken or rabbit and seafood. This tasty paella incarnation is popular across Spain.
• Paella de mariscos, cooked with fresh seafood, is found – predictably – in many coastal areas.
  
• Vegetarian paella, made with whatever is local and seasonal, varies throughout Spain.
• Paella using black rice called arroz negro also originated in Valencia. This is made from traditional bomba rice coloured by thick squid ink and served with cuttlefish or octopus. 
• Catalonia introduces fideuà into the mix, with noodles replacing the rice.

Be more Spanish! Host a paella party and you’ll bring friends and family together for a deliciously sociable culinary event, whether a summer picnic, dinner party or special occasion.

• Research different paella recipes and take into account any dietary restrictions among your guests. 
• Practice making your paella to ensure that the rice is perfectly al dente. 
• Create a Spanish theme with brightly coloured Spanish ceramic crockery, flags and flamenco or classical guitar music, and ask your guests to wear Spanish-themed outfits.
• Serve your paella with crusty bread and a simple green salad to offset the richness and complexity of the main dish.
• Accompany your food with some of the wines suggested above.

National Spanish Paella Day is held on March 27 every year. How will you be celebrating?