Cookbook:Valencian-Inspired Paella
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| Valencian-Inspired Paella | |
|---|---|
| Category | Spanish recipes |
| Servings | 6 |
| Time | 3 hours |
Cookbook | Ingredients | Recipes | Cuisine of Spain | Rice Recipes
This is not a traditional Spanish paella recipe, however it is inspired by paella valenciana because it includes chicken, rabbit, duck and beans; the major ingredients of that dish.
This recipe is not for the faint of heart. It requires a significant amount of work. However, the creamy duck flavor of this dish is well worth the effort if you have the time.
Equipment[edit]
- A 38-centimeter (15-inch) paellera
- A 7.6-liter (two-gallon) pot
- A rice skimmer
- A sharp chopping knife for meat and vegetables
- A large serving spoon
- A clean, white towel large enough to cover the paellera
- A wide heating source such as:
-
- A stove large enough to accommodate the size of the paellera
- A gas burner designed specifically for paelleras
- A charcoal barbecue
- A low, forged steel tripod to support the paellera over a wood or charcoal fire
- Cinder blocks or heat-resistant bricks to support the paellera over a wood or charcoal fire
Ingredients[edit]
Please read Paella cooking techniques before attempting this recipe.
- 500 gr (1 pound) boneless, skinless chicken breast
- 1 large whole rabbit (or additional pound of chicken breast as a substitute)
- 1 large whole duck
- salt to taste
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 500 gr (1 pound) chopped red bell peppers
- 28 grams (1 ounce) garlic
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 500 gr (1 pound) diced or grated tomatoes
- 500 gr (1 pound) cannellini beans canned in water (thoroughly rinsed)
- 8 to 10 threads of saffron and/or 1.5 teaspoons yellow food coloring for rice
- 3 cups short-grain, white rice (also called Valencian rice or pearl rice)
- 6 to 8 branches of fresh rosemary
Procedure[edit]
- Defrost the duck and the chicken.
- Heat the water to a moderate boil.
- Place the frozen rabbit (which usually comes skinned and without organs) in the pot.
- Fill the pot nearly to the top with water and heat to a moderate boil.
- Allow the rabbit to boil until the flesh is light pink. Then remove the rabbit and set aside.
- Discard the duck organs except for the neck.
- Cut out the duck's spine and set aside.
- Quarter the duck and save the wings.
- Place the duck quarters, neck, wings, tail and spine in the same water that the rabbit was in.
- Boil the duck until the flesh is cooked.
- Remove the duck.
- Pull the meat off the rabbit and duck and set aside. Be sure to save the duck skin.
- Put the duck bones, duck skin and rabbit bones back in the boiling water.
- Boil until the water is reduced to half of its original volume.
- Discard the bones and skin and save the broth.
- Cut the chicken breast into chunks, whatever size you prefer.
- Pour olive oil in a paellera and, when hot, add the chicken, duck and rabbit.
- Add a tablespoon of salt and mix.
- Sauté the meat until golden brown. Use the rice skimmer to mix the meat.
- Add red peppers and sauté for one minute.
- Add the garlic and sauté until brown. Be careful; garlic burns easily.
- Once the garlic is brown, add the paprika followed quickly by the tomatoes to prevent the paprika and garlic from burning.
- Sauté until the tomatoes become dark and pulpy and the mixture has reduced a bit.
- Add the beans, saffron (and/or food coloring) and mix thoroughly.
- Pull the leaves off of the rosemary and add to the mixture. Discard the stems.
- Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated with the mixture.
- Pat the mixture down so it's level and add the broth so that it's almost to the top of the paellera.
- Reduce the heat to moderate and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes.
- It's customary at this point to allow your dinner guests to taste the broth. The purpose is to determine if the broth needs more salt. If so, add more salt, a pinch at a time, until everybody is satisfied.
- Taste the rice about once every four to five minutes. You'll know it's done when it's soft but not pasty.
- At this point, there should be some toasted rice sticking to the bottom of the pan. This is a delicacy throughout Spain and Latin America. If no toasted rice has developed, increase the flame to high and listen for a crackling sound at the bottom the pan. Reduce the heat to low once the aroma of toasted rice wafts upwards.
- Remove the pan from the heat when the rice is almost dry and cover with a clean, white towel (a white towel prevents dye from leeching onto the paella) and wait five minutes before serving to allow the rice to absorb the remaining broth.
