About this Dish
Spain's most iconic dish — short grain rice cooked in a wide flat pan with saffron, stock and various combinations of seafood, rabbit or chicken. The socarrat — the crispy caramelised rice crust at the bottom of the pan — is the most prized element. Valencia is the spiritual home and considers seafood paella a heresy.
IngredientsServes 6
🍗Chicken thighs, 4 bone-in, skin-on
🐇Rabbit, 500g cut into small pieces
🍚Bomba or Calasparra short-grain rice, 300g
🧅Tomatoes, 2 large ripe, grated
🧄Garlic, 4 cloves minced
🌿Saffron threads, a generous pinch bloomed in 3 tbsp warm water
🫑Smoked sweet paprika (pimentón dulce), 1 tsp
🍲Hot chicken or vegetable stock, 900ml
🫒Olive oil, 4 tbsp
🌿Fresh rosemary, 2 sprigs
Method
1
Heat the olive oil in a wide, flat paella pan (or the largest heavy skillet you own) over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and rabbit generously with salt, then brown them all over for about 8 minutes until deeply golden — don't rush this, as that colour builds the base flavour.2
Push the meat to the edges and fry the garlic in the centre for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomatoes and cook, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until the tomato has darkened and the mixture looks almost dry and jammy. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for one more minute.3
Pour in the hot stock along with the saffron and its soaking water, add the rosemary sprigs, and bring everything to a lively simmer. Taste the broth — it should be well-seasoned, as this is your only chance to adjust salt before the rice goes in.4
Scatter the rice evenly across the pan in a single layer, distributing it around the meat. Do not stir from this point forward — stirring releases starch and ruins the texture and socarrat.5
Cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low for a further 8–10 minutes until the stock is absorbed and the rice is just tender. In the final 2 minutes, turn the heat back up to medium-high to encourage the socarrat — listen for a gentle crackling sound from the bottom.6
Remove from the heat, cover loosely with foil or a clean tea towel, and rest for 5 minutes. To check your socarrat, carefully scrape a little rice from the bottom — it should be golden and nutty-smelling, not burnt. Serve straight from the pan at the table.User Reviews
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