"Authentic Valencian paella has no seafood — chicken, rabbit, green beans and saffron over an orange-wood fire, with the caramelised rice crust (socarrat) as the goal."
About Paella Valenciana
The most misunderstood and most copied Spanish dish — a wide, shallow pan of short-grain Valencian rice cooked in chicken and rabbit broth with green beans, butter beans, tomato and saffron over an open wood fire until the bottom forms the socarrat, a caramelised rice crust; no seafood in the authentic version; eaten from the pan with wooden spoons.
Paella Valenciana — a staple of Spain's cuisine
Authentic Paella Valenciana contains chicken, rabbit, green beans, butter beans, tomato and saffron — no seafood. The wide, shallow pan (paella) is placed over an orange-wood fire. The rice absorbs the broth and the bottom layer forms the socarrat — a caramelised rice crust that is the technical and gastronomic goal of the entire dish.
The socarrat forms in the final minutes when all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice in contact with the metal crisps in its own starch. Good paella has a consistent socarrat across the entire base. This is the hardest part to achieve.
What to Expect
The paella arrives in the pan — always in the pan. You're given a wooden spoon and eat directly from the metal. The socarrat scrapes up from the base with a slight resistance. This is what the whole process was for.
Why Try It
Paella Valenciana at a beach restaurant in Valencia on a Sunday, cooked over orange wood, is one of Spain's most specific and irreplaceable experiences.
Insider Tips
Only order paella at lunchtime — it's a midday dish, never dinner.
La Pepica in Valencia (est. 1898) and Casa Roberto in Albufera are two reliable addresses.
Share the pan — paella is always made in larger quantities than one person requires.
