Paella de Fetge de Bou

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •38-40cm paellera for 4 servings
• •Wide gas burner or two-ring hob
• •Box grater for the tomato
• •Clean kitchen towel for resting

Instructions

1. 1

   Mark the pan

   Set a 38-40cm paellera level over the heat. Pour in 1.2 litres of water, notice where it sits against the side of the pan, then pour it out. That mark is your rice-cooking level later. Pésalo, no lo adivines. Weigh it, don't guess.

   A thin layer of rice is the point. If your pan is smaller than 36cm, reduce the rice to 300g and the water mark to 900ml.
2. 2

   Brown the liver

   Pat the liver dry and season it with a pinch of the measured salt. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the liver quickly, in one loose layer, about 60-90 seconds per side. It should catch colour at the edges but stay tender inside. Lift it to a plate and keep every drop of juice that gathers there.

3. 3

   Brown the cauliflower

   Add the cauliflower to the same oil and cook until the edges take a little gold, 4-5 minutes. Lower the heat, add the garlic, and stir for 20 seconds. Add the grated tomato and cook it down until it turns dark, thick, and glossy, 6-8 minutes. This sofrito, the slow tomato base, is where the sweetness comes from.

4. 4

   Build the broth

   Pull the pan briefly off the heat, stir in the sweet pimenton, then add 1.35 litres of hot water. Return the pan to the heat, add the chickpeas, saffron, and remaining salt, and boil steadily for 8-10 minutes, until the liquid drops back to the 1.2 litre mark. Taste the broth. It should be a little saltier than soup, because the rice will take it in.

5. 5

   Add the rice

   Scatter in the rice across the pan and spread it into an even layer. Add the browned liver and its juices, tucking the pieces between the grains. From this moment, do not stir. Stirring loosens starch and gives you a soft arroz instead of a dry paella. Boil hard for 8 minutes, rotating the pan if your heat is uneven.

   If a few grains sit above the liquid at the start, press them under once with the back of a spoon. After that, leave them alone.
6. 6

   Finish the socarrat

   Lower the heat to medium-low and cook 8-10 minutes more, until the surface looks dry and the grains are tender with a little bite. Raise the heat for the last 60-90 seconds and listen for the dry crackle underneath. The smell should be toasted, not burnt. Take the pan off the heat, cover it with a clean towel, and rest 5 minutes before serving. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Buy liver from a butcher with good turnover. It should look glossy and deep red-brown, never dry at the edges or sour-smelling. Calf liver is the honest substitute abroad; it tastes gentler, so the rice will be less dark and mineral.
• •Bomba is the safest rice for a first paella because it takes up liquid without bursting. Senia or bahia are beautiful Valencian rices, but they soften faster. Long-grain rice is for another kitchen.
• •Canned chickpeas are fine here if they are firm. Rinse them well and add them with the broth. If you cook dried chickpeas yourself, 75g dried chickpeas gives about the right amount after soaking and simmering.
• •Use a wide paellera, not a deep pot. A deep pot gives you a thick bed of rice, and a thick bed steams before it dries. The socarrat needs width.
• •Don't add chorizo, peas, or red pepper strips to dress it up. This is Meliana's rice, and the liver is the point. Tal como se hace alli.

Advance Preparation

• •Cook dried chickpeas up to 3 days ahead, or use firm canned chickpeas and rinse them well.
• •Grate the tomato and cut the cauliflower earlier the same day, then keep them covered in the refrigerator.
• •Trim the liver up to 4 hours ahead and keep it cold, but salt it only just before browning.
• •Do not cook the paella ahead. The rice is best after its 5 minute rest, while the bottom is still crisp and the grains are separate.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 475g)