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Paella

Saffron-tinted rice crowned with chicken, rabbit, and green beans, cooked in a wide pan until the bottom crisps into the prized socarrat.

⏱ 15 minPrep time
🔥 30 minCook time
🍽 4Servings
🏷 DinnerCategory
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Saffron-tinted rice crowned with chicken, rabbit, and green beans, cooked in a wide pan until the bottom crisps into the prized socarrat.

Sunday lunch in Valencia

Paella was born in the rice paddies of Valencia’s Albufera lagoon, where farmworkers cooked short-grain rice over orange-wood fires with whatever the land offered — rabbit, chicken, and beans. Eaten straight from the pan at lunchtime, it remains Spain’s great social dish, made for sharing, arguing over, and finishing to the last crunchy grain.

Get the rice right every time with our How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time.

Step by stepInstructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and rabbit with salt and brown on all sides until golden, about 8 minutes; push to the sides of the pan.
  2. Add the green beans and cook 3-4 minutes, then stir in the garlic, paprika, and grated tomato and cook 2 minutes until the tomato deepens in color.
  3. Stir in the rice and toast it in the oil for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the grains turn translucent at the edges.
  4. Pour in the hot stock and the saffron with its soaking water. Stir once to level the rice, add the rosemary sprig, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook, without stirring, 18 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally for even cooking.
  5. When the liquid has been absorbed, raise the heat for 1-2 minutes to develop the socarrat crust. Remove from the heat, cover with a clean cloth, and rest 5 minutes before serving with lemon wedges.

💡 Chef tips & storage

Do not stir the rice once the stock goes in — stirring releases starch and ruins the texture. The socarrat is a badge of honor; if it smells toasty, not burnt, you've nailed it.

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Recipe details

Prep15 min
Cook30 min
Servings4
CategoryDinner
PublishedAugust 17, 2026
Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →