Best 5 Authentic Paella Recipes

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Prepare to embark on a culinary journey to the heart of the Iberian Peninsula and discover the vibrant flavors and rich cultural heritage of Spain through its iconic dish, paella. This delectable rice-based delicacy is a symphony of colors, textures, and aromas that encapsulates the essence of Spanish cuisine, inviting you to experience a taste of its vibrant culinary traditions. From the bustling markets of Barcelona to the picturesque seaside villages of Valencia, the art of preparing an authentic paella is deeply rooted in Spain's culinary history and showcases the country's love for fresh, seasonal ingredients and bold flavors. Let us guide you through the intricacies of preparing this traditional dish, ensuring that your paella captures the authentic spirit of Spanish cuisine.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

AUTHENTIC SEAFOOD PAELLA



Authentic Seafood Paella image

Paella is a classic Spanish dish of rice cooked with shellfish and seasoned with saffron. It is perfect for easy entertaining.

Provided by Allrecipes

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Spanish

Time 55m

Yield 2

Number Of Ingredients 19

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
½ tomato, finely diced
1 pinch salt
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
6 fresh romano or green beans
½ cup canned butter beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup white rice
6 large shrimp
6 mussels
6 clams
1 cup white wine
2 cups seafood stock
1 pinch saffron threads
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 cup fresh peas
5 baby squid, cut into rings and tentacles
1 lemon, cut into wedges
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Steps:

  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over high heat. Cook and stir onion, tomato, salt, and smoked paprika into the hot oil until softened, about 3 minutes. Add romano beans, butter beans, and rice; cook and stir until rice is coated with oil, 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Place shrimp, mussels, and clams over the top of the rice mixture. Pour in white wine and seafood stock; sprinkle in saffron threads and rosemary. Bring mixture to a simmer. Turn shellfish and continue to cook until clams and mussels have opened, and shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove clams, mussels, and shrimp and set aside.
  • Stir peas into the paella; simmer, uncovered, until rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in squid, and return clams, mussels, and shrimp to the pan. Cook until squid is opaque and cooked through, 2 to 3 more minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 784.1 calories, Carbohydrate 73.5 g, Cholesterol 301.1 mg, Fat 20.1 g, Fiber 8.9 g, Protein 53 g, SaturatedFat 3.3 g, Sodium 979.8 mg, Sugar 5.3 g

AUTHENTIC SPANISH PAELLA



Authentic Spanish Paella image

This is one of my all time favorite dishes. I've been experimenting for a year now and I think I've finally got it perfect. This recipe is for an 18" pallera cooked on an open flame (a weber grill works perfectly). For a smaller pan and stovetop cooking half the recipe. Note: Some purists say an 'authentic' paella doesn't mix meat and seafood. I see it as a matter of taste, and most of the paella I've had from various regions throughout Spain has been mixed. I leave the arguments to the old men in Valencia.

Provided by parisucks

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 16

3 cups bomba or calasparra rice (arborio risotto works as a substitute)
8 cups chicken stock
1 large onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large bell pepper, diced
10 -15 flat green beans
4 plum tomatoes, diced
0.5 (4 ounce) can tomato paste
15 large shrimp (feel free to add clams, calamari, prawns or mussels)
2 -3 lbs rabbit
4 links chorizo sausages, frito sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh parsley
2 -3 tablespoons fresh thyme
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1 pinch saffron
3 lemons, quartered

Steps:

  • It's best to have all of your ingredients prepared before you start cooking.
  • Prepare the rabbit by separating the legs, cutting remaining meat into small slices and lightly salting. (In my area rabbit is seasonal. During the summer and fall I substitute with chicken legs).
  • I peel my shrimp, leaving only the tail and then salt them. In Spain they tend to leave the shrimp unshelled.
  • I always try to make my chicken stock from scratch (time permitting), adding a bit of rosemary, a tiny pinch of saffron and a bit of thyme. If you're going to use bouillon, I'd recommend at least heating it up with these herbs and then straining before you start.
  • Keep your stock hot but not boiling as you cook.
  • Coat the bottom of your pallera/pan with olive oil.
  • Brown your chorizo over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Do not fully cook, just get the outside well browned. Set aside. This should add a nice red color and a hell of a flavor to your oil.
  • Brown the Rabbit for 2-3 minutes. It should not be fully cooked. Set aside.
  • Brown garlic, onion and bell pepper until they're softened, adding plum tomatoes shortly before the mixture is finished.
  • Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and on the other add the half can of tomato paste. Caramelize it, flipping it and spreading it until it begins to loosen (1-2 min over hight heat).
  • Mix all of the vegetables and meats together with the caramelized tomato paste also adding the paprika, parsley and thyme.
  • Add rice, mixing together and stirring as the rice browns (1-1 1/2) minutes. As the rice browns mix in the saffron. Make sure to break it between your fingers and stir it in to release all those tasty oils.
  • When the rice is slightly translucent add enough chicken stock to cover the whole mixture. If it's been kept warm, it will begin to boil almost immediately. Lower to a medium heat but keep it at a steady boil.
  • This is where paella is made and broken. I stir a few times in the first 5-10 minutes, adding broth as necessary to keep the rice fully covered. After this you must let the paella SIT! Let it cook another 10-20 minutes (I find that this step takes longer on a stovetop), adding broth bit by bit to keep the rice submerged until the rice on the top is al dente. Don't worry about rice burning to the bottom, this part (which actually has a name which escapes me at the moment, it's something like socarrat) is a tasty delicacy.
  • Once you've stirred the paella for the last time and are letting cook, when you have about 8 minutes left to cook lay shrimp on top, turning over after 2-4 minutes to cook other side.
  • When the rice on top is still quite al dente, take paella off of heat and cover. You must let it sit for 15-20 minutes. I've taken the lid off prematurely and ended up with a crunchy mess. Patience is the key.
  • Once you're sure it's ready uncover, garnish with lemon wedges and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 913, Fat 28.7, SaturatedFat 9.6, Cholesterol 149.9, Sodium 1183.3, Carbohydrate 101.2, Fiber 4.7, Sugar 10.2, Protein 58.6

AUTHENTIC PAELLA



Authentic Paella image

My grandmother emigrated from Valladolid, Spain. This is her AUTHENTIC Paella (Spanish rice)!

Provided by ZapnTatersMom

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Spanish     Main Dishes     Paella Recipes

Time 1h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 16

2 ½ cups uncooked white rice
6 cups chicken stock, divided
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon curry powder
5 saffron threads
salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 (3 pound) whole chicken, cut into small pieces
2 cups peeled and deveined small shrimp, diced
6 small lobster tails
½ pound clams in shell, scrubbed
1 (8 ounce) jar mushrooms, drained
1 cup green peas
1 (2 ounce) can mussels

Steps:

  • Rinse the rice with cold water; drain; set aside. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep warm. Work the garlic, parsley, curry powder, saffron threads, salt, black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the hot chicken stock together with a mortar and pestle until a smooth liquid forms; set the seasoning liquid aside.
  • Heat the olive oil in a paella pan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the onion until lightly browned. Stir in the chicken, shrimp, lobster, and clams; cook and stir until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Pour in the seasoning liquid.
  • Stir in the rice, pour in the hot chicken stock, and simmer until the rice is nearly tender, about 15 minutes. Add mushrooms, peas, and mussels; stir two times, and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand until rice is soft and flaky, about 7 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 591.1 calories, Carbohydrate 54 g, Cholesterol 152.8 mg, Fat 21.8 g, Fiber 2.7 g, Protein 42 g, SaturatedFat 5.4 g, Sodium 1032.2 mg, Sugar 1.6 g

AUTHENTIC VALENCIAN PAELLA



Authentic Valencian Paella image

This is the typical, rich rice dish from Valencia, located on the east Mediterranean coast of Spain. It is a mix of recipes I found on aboutvalencia.com and alicante-spain.com. This is the REAL paella recipe, the kind I had made for me in my exchange-home in Valencia, Spain.

Provided by GreenEyedLS

Categories     Stew

Time 1h20m

Yield 4 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 chicken pieces
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 lb mussels, and or 1/2 lb calamari
2 medium ripe chopped tomatoes
6 ounces wide green beans (spanish-bachoqueta)
4 ounces large white lima beans (spanish-garrafon)
1 teaspoon saffron
3 cups Spanish rice
8 cups hot water or 8 cups even better chicken broth
olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the paella pan)
salt (to taste)
1 teaspoon red sweet paprika

Steps:

  • First, heat the oil and when it is hot enough, add the seafood and chicken (lightly salted ) and fry until lightly browned. Then add the white and green beans and cook them together with the meat.
  • While they are cooking, make a clearance in the middle of the paella pans and fry the chopped tomatoes until they look a little pasty, quickly adding the paprika, stirring quickly and immediately adding the hot water or broth until it is almost to the top of the paella pans edge.
  • Cook all the ingredients for about 20 minutes over a high fire and tasting for salt.
  • After 20 minutes add the rice, distributing it evenly, making sure the rice is covered with liquid. The heat should be fairly high, not interrupting the boil. It takes about 20 minutes for the paella rice to cook.
  • Do not stir the rice once you have added it to the paella pans, just change its position so that the heat gets to all parts equally. All the broth should be absorbed when finished.
  • Take the paella off the heat and let stand for about 10 minutes covering the top with newspaper. If the rice has been cooked correctly, the rice grains should be loose, not clumped together or having a mushy texture.
  • For a fantastic table presentation, small wedges of lemon can decorate the border and branches of romero (aromatic herbs) in the middle. Now you are ready to dig into your paella with wooden spoons and eat directly from the paela pans!

Nutrition Facts : Calories 156.7, Fat 2.3, SaturatedFat 0.5, Cholesterol 126.3, Sodium 377.9, Carbohydrate 12.9, Fiber 3.8, Sugar 3, Protein 21.4

AUTHENTIC PAELLA VALENCIANA



Authentic Paella Valenciana image

I lived in Spain for two years where I was taught the art of making the Paella which originated in Valencia. I haven't found anything on here which is even close to authentic, so I thought I would add this recipe for those who would like to try a taste of Spain. First and foremost you will need a special paella pan called a paellera or just a paella. Trust me after you taste this you'll be glad you bought the special pan.

Provided by Jason Nelson

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Spanish

Time 2h

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 tablespoon olive oil
½ (4 pound) whole chicken, cut into 6 pieces
½ (2 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 (15.5 ounce) can butter beans
½ (10 ounce) package frozen green peas
½ (10 ounce) package frozen green beans
salt to taste
1 teaspoon mild paprika, or to taste
1 pinch saffron threads
1 pinch dried thyme to taste
1 pinch dried rosemary to taste
4 cups uncooked white rice, or as needed

Steps:

  • Heat a paella pan over medium-high heat, and coat with olive oil. Add the chicken, rabbit and garlic; cook and stir until nicely browned. Move the browned meat to the sides of the pan, and add the tomato, butter beans, peas, and green beans. Season with paprika, and mix well.
  • Fill the paella pan almost to the top with water, measuring the water as you put it in. This is to help you to determine how much rice to add, as paella pans come in different sizes. Bring to a boil. Simmer for about 1 hour to make a nice broth.
  • Season with a generous amount of salt, and just enough saffron to make a nice yellow color. Season with thyme and rosemary if desired. The goal is to make a rich tasting broth that will soak into the rice to make it delicious. Stir in half as much rice as the amount of water in the pan. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until all of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 783.4 calories, Carbohydrate 87.3 g, Cholesterol 82.1 mg, Fat 31.3 g, Fiber 4.5 g, Protein 34.2 g, SaturatedFat 8.6 g, Sodium 327.8 mg, Sugar 2.1 g

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients. The better the ingredients, the better the paella will taste. This means using fresh seafood, meats, and vegetables.
  • Cook the paella over a high heat. This will help to create a crispy bottom and a flavorful soccarat (the caramelized layer of rice at the bottom of the pan).
  • Don't stir the paella too much. Stirring the paella too much will break up the rice and make it mushy.
  • Let the paella rest for a few minutes before serving. This will allow the rice to absorb all of the flavors.

Conclusion:

Paella is a delicious and versatile dish that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. It is a great way to use up leftover ingredients and it can be easily customized to your own liking. With a little practice, you can make a paella that will impress your friends and family.

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