Valencian paella

Originally from the province of Cuenca, Alberto Herraiz is one of the undisputed masters of paella. He has long prepared several interpretations of the famous traditional Spanish dish in his former Parisian restaurant Fogón. Now owner of Fogón Ultramarinos in the 7ᵉ arrondissement of Paris, the chef offers delicious takeaway dishes, including paella.

This recipe for Valencian Paella by chef Alberto Herraiz, of Fogón Ultramarinos in Paris, is from Gault&Millau magazine n°10. Discover the ingredients and preparation steps to make it as easy as possible.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 50 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Rest: 6 minutes

Ingredients for Alberto Herraiz's Valencian Paella

This traditional Valencian recipe features rice, vegetables, rabbit and chicken. Here are the ingredients.

4 small purple artichokes
Juice of 1 lemon
600 g bone-in free-range chicken, cut into 40 g pieces
400 g free-range rabbit, bone-in, cut into 40 g pieces
15 cl olive oil
2 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled
120 g flat coconut beans, rinsed and drained
120 g green beans, rinsed and drained
120 g large white Soissons-type beans, cooked or canned
1 tsp unsmoked pimentón de la Vera (Spanish paprika)
250 g ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and grated
1 l chicken stock (or 1 chicken stock cube diluted in 1 liter of hot water)
0.4 of pure saffron powder
320 g unwashed bomba rice
2 sprigs rosemary, salt and freshly ground bell pepper

Steps for Alberto Herraiz's Valencian Paella

A few simple steps are all it takes to make the chef's Paella Valencienne.

Prepare the artichokes by removing the tops and outer leaves. Cut into 4 pieces and set aside in lemon water.
Preheat oven to 150°C.
Season chicken and rabbit with salt and pepper. heat the olive oil in the 40 cm paella pan over high heat. Brown the meats, cooking them halfway through.
Add the garlic cloves. When half cooked, add the beans and artichokes.
When the beans and artichokes start to brown, push them to the edge of the paella and sprinkle the center with pimentón. Fry briefly and add the tomatoes before they start to burn.
Fry for a few moments, then mix the tomato with the rest of the ingredients. Pour in the stock, add the saffron and rosemary.
Add the rice and spread it over the entire surface of the paella. Bring to the boil and arrange the ingredients harmoniously, bearing in mind that the rice should not be stirred from this point onwards (in total, allow 17 minutes cooking time). Taste for salt and pepper.
After 4 minutes of boiling, cook over medium heat. When the rice begins to flush with the surface of the liquid, turn down the heat. Leave to cook for a further 2 minutes, then place the paella in the oven for 11 minutes.
Remove the paella from the oven and remove the rosemary. Leave to rest for 6 minutes before serving.

Has this recipe inspired you to discover the work of Alberto Herraiz? Read the Gault&Millau review of Fogón Ultramarinos.