Traditional Valencian Paella with Ojai Mountain 2024 Tempranillo

Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 45 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Serves: 4–6

Ingredients

The rice and protein

• 2 cups Bomba rice (or Calasparra; do not substitute long-grain rice)

• 1 lb. bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, cut into small pieces

• 1 lb. bone-in rabbit, cut into small pieces (see substitution note below)

• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Kosher salt

The sofrito and aromatics

• 2 ripe Roma tomatoes, halved and grated on a box grater (discard the skins)

• 1 teaspoon sweet pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)

• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads (about 20 to 25 threads), lightly toasted and steeped in 2 tablespoons warm water for 10 minutes

• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

The vegetables

• 200g (about 7 oz.) flat green beans (Romano beans or bajoqueta), trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces

• 200g (about 7 oz.) garrofón beans (large white beans; canned butter beans or lima beans are an acceptable substitute)

The liquid

• 5 cups good chicken stock, kept hot in a separate pot

• Water, as needed to adjust

Substitutions and sourcing notes:

On the paella pan: A 14- to 16-inch carbon steel paella pan is ideal for 4 to 6 servings. A wide stainless or cast-iron skillet will work, though the shallow, wide geometry of a paella pan is what allows the rice to spread thin and cook evenly. If you do not have one, use the widest pan you own and expect to work in a slightly deeper rice layer.

How to Make Traditional Valencian Paella

Paella is not a forgiving dish, but it is a learnable one. The three principles that govern every step are: build flavor in layers, never stir the rice once it is in the pan, and listen for the socarrat.

Step 1: Steep the saffron (30 minutes before cooking)

Lightly toast the saffron threads in a dry pan for 20 to 30 seconds over low heat, just until fragrant. Add them to 2 tablespoons of warm water and let steep for at least 10 minutes. This blooms the saffron and distributes its color and flavor more evenly through the rice than adding dry threads to the pan.

Step 2: Sear the meat (10 minutes)

Heat the olive oil in the paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken and rabbit pieces generously with salt. Sear in a single layer, turning occasionally, until deep golden brown on all sides, about 8 to 10 minutes total. The goal is color and rendered fat, not cooked-through meat; it will finish in the broth.

Push the meat to the edges of the pan.

Step 3: Build the sofrito (8 minutes)

In the center of the pan, add the green beans and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring, until slightly softened and beginning to color.

Add the grated tomato to the center and cook, stirring, until the moisture evaporates and the tomato reduces to a thick, jammy consistency, about 4 minutes. Add the pimentón and stir it through the tomato for 30 seconds exactly. Do not let it burn; burnt paprika turns bitter and cannot be corrected.

Step 4: Add the stock and rice (20 minutes)

Pour in the hot chicken stock and stir everything together to combine the sofrito with the meat and beans. Bring to a vigorous boil over high heat.

Add the saffron water and the garrofón beans. Taste the broth: it should be slightly more seasoned than you want the finished dish to be, because the rice will absorb that salt as it cooks.

Distribute the rice evenly across the pan, spreading it in a cross pattern from one side to the other. Add the rosemary sprig.

From this point, do not stir. Paella rice is never stirred once it is added. Stirring releases starch and turns the dish into risotto, which is a different and excellent dish but not paella.

Cook on high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the liquid level drops to just above the rice.

Step 5: Reduce and finish (10 minutes)

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for another 8 to 10 minutes, until the remaining liquid is fully absorbed. Remove the rosemary sprig.

Step 6: The socarrat (2 minutes)

The socarrat is the caramelized crust that forms on the bottom of the pan in the final minutes. It is the most prized part of the dish and the mark of a properly made paella.

Increase the heat to medium-high for the final 2 minutes. Listen carefully: you will hear a faint crackling sound as the bottom layer of rice begins to toast against the pan. Smell for a nutty, toasted aroma. When you hear and smell this, remove the pan from heat immediately. If you smell anything acrid or burnt, you have gone too long.

Step 7: Rest and serve

Cover the pan loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes. This allows the socarrat to firm up and the rice to settle.

Bring the pan to the table and serve directly from it. Provide lemon wedges for squeezing over individual portions.

Timing note for hosts: Paella is a communal, centerpiece dish. The pan goes on the table, and guests serve themselves. This makes it ideal for entertaining: the cook is not plating individual portions at the last minute. Set the table, open the wine, and let the paella speak for itself.

Wine Pairing Notes: Ojai Mountain 2024 Tempranillo

The 2024 Tempranillo is Ojai Mountain's first standalone bottling of this Spanish varietal, grown at 2,800 feet on the estate's Monterey shale soils. It is a meaningful pairing on more than one level: Tempranillo is native to the Iberian Peninsula, and Valencian paella is one of Spain's foundational dishes. The connection is cultural as much as it is structural.

From a flavor standpoint, the pairing works because of complementary earthiness and restraint. Paella Valenciana is not a heavily spiced dish; its depth comes from the sofrito, the saffron, and the rendered fat of well-seared chicken and rabbit. Ojai Mountain's Tempranillo, grown at high elevation with the winery's characteristic minimal intervention approach, brings red fruit, savory structure, and earthy mineral notes without the heavy oak or high alcohol that would overwhelm the rice.

The key: this is a dish that absorbs the wine into the meal rather than competing with it. The socarrat, with its toasted, nutty character, finds a natural echo in the wine's earthy depth.

Serving temperature: 60 to 65°F. Decant for 20 to 30 minutes before serving. The wine benefits from a brief opening to let its aromatics unfurl, and the slight chill keeps it lively through the full course of the meal.

At the table: Open the Tempranillo while the paella rests. By the time the foil comes off the pan and the first portions are served, the wine will be at its best. Pour generously; this is a communal meal.