Paul Foster’s Valencia Style Paella

A few words from Paul…

“In the UK we tend to think of paella as a seafood rice dish. As tasty as that version is, the original comes from Valencia in Eastern Spain and contains chicken, rabbit, and snails but no seafood.

I like nothing more than eating a seafood paella full of fresh mussels, langoustines, prawns, and squid with a bottle of white wine by the coast, but as there are so many variations of this dish across Spain, I wanted to develop a recipe that fully respected its origins.

Eastern Spain is one of the most important rice growing regions in the country. 1200 years ago, rice was introduced to the Spanish moors and the farmers would cook rice in a pan over a wood fire to share for lunch.

For this dish its best to use the leg, shoulder and wing cuts as they don’t overcook and have a better texture. There are many stories about where the name paella is said to come from but the most likely is that it came from the name of the pan it is cooked and served in.

Once you have mastered the technique for a paella then you can experiment and adapt the ingredients. The key is the cooking of the rice… don’t be scared of keeping the heat high as that’s what builds the ‘socarrat’ which is the crust that forms on the bottom and sides of the pan, and in my opinion the best part of a good paella.”

Serves: 2
Medium skill

Ingredients for Paul Foster’s Valencia Style Paella

• 250g rabbit on the bone
• 250g chicken on the bone
• 50g extra virgin olive oil
• 1 ripe tomato
• 100g of runner beans cut into 2 inch pieces
• 100g tinned butter beans drained
• 250g Bomba rice
• 800g chicken stock
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• saffron, small pinch
• Sweet smoked paprika, small pinch
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
• Salt

Equipment

• Stainless Steel Tri-Ply 24cm Frying Pan
• Knife
• Chopping board
• Tongs

Cooking Method for Paul Foster’s Valencia Style Paella

1. Cut the rabbit and chicken into evenly sized pieces, around 60g-70g each.
2. In a paella pan or large frying pan, add the oil and heat on high. Next, add the meat (skin side down) and fry on high heat until golden brown.
3. Add the runner beans to the pan and then fry with the meat for 1 minute.
4. Sprinkle in the smoked paprika and stir well.
5. Chop the garlic finely and add to the pan, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Grate the tomato to a pulp and then add it to the pan. Cook for 1 minute until it starts to catch lightly on the bottom of the pan.
7. Bring the stock to the boil and add to the pan, keeping it on a high heat, so it comes straight back to the boil. Then sprinkle in the saffron and add the butter beans.
8. Add the bomba rice and stir in well to ensure it is well incorporated.
9. Keep the rice on full heat for 10 minutes and don’t stir at all.
10. After 10 minutes, turn down to a low heat and cook for 5/6 minutes.
11. Remove from the heat, place 2 sprigs of rosemary on top, and cover with a tea towel. Leave it for 2 minutes so the rice takes on the aroma of the rosemary.
12. Serve immediately in the middle of the table in the cooking pan.