Classic Spanish Paella Valenciana

Place 0.5g saffron threads onto a piece of aluminum foil and fold it securely into a sealed envelope shape. Place the foil envelope onto the preheating dry paella pan for 10 seconds on each side to gently toast the threads until fragrant, then remove and set aside.

Sprinkle 1 tsp salt generously over the bottom of the hot paella pan, then pour in 50ml extra virgin olive oil. Add 2 halved chicken thighs and 250g rabbit meat pieces in a single layer. Sear on high heat for 15 minutes, turning occasionally, until deeply browned and caramelized on all sides.

Push the browned meat pieces to the outer edges of the paella pan to open up space in the center. Add 100g runner beans and 50g broad beans directly into the middle of the pan. Fry over high heat for 3 minutes until the vegetables turn browned and slightly charred.

Trim the tough outer leaves from 2 globe artichokes, trim and peel the stems, cut off the top leafy third, slice each artichoke into quarters, and scoop out the fuzzy inner choke. Add the artichoke quarters into the pan and fry over medium-high heat for 3 minutes until browned on the edges.

Finely chop 2 garlic cloves. Turn the heat under the paella pan down to medium-low, add the chopped garlic directly into the center of the pan, and stir for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.

Sprinkle 1 tsp smoked paprika evenly over the ingredients in the pan, and stir quickly for 15 seconds to toast the spice and release its smoky aroma.

Add 1 grated tomato (about 100g) into the center of the pan immediately. Turn the heat back up to high, stir continuously, and cook for 2 minutes until the moisture evaporates, and the tomato darkens into a thick paste coating the meat and vegetables.

Pour 1500ml hot chicken stock into the pan and stir gently. Take the toasted saffron from step 1, crush the threads between your palms into the boiling broth, and stir. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil on high heat.

Sprinkle 250g Spanish short-grain rice evenly across the boiling pan. Stir gently with a slotted spoon just once to evenly distribute the rice under the broth, then let it settle for 2 minutes. Cook over high heat for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook for 6 minutes until the liquid reduces below the level of the rice.

Lay 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary across the top of the rice. Cover the entire paella pan tightly with a large sheet of aluminum foil to seal in the steam. Lower the heat to minimum and cook for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat entirely and leave covered to rest for 5 minutes.

Unveil the aluminum foil lid and discard the rosemary sprigs. Use a serving spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to gather a mixture of fluffy rice, meat, vegetables, and the crunchy caramelized socarrat. Portion onto plates and serve with 1 fresh lemon cut into wedges.