12 Reviews of Authentic Spanish Paella

From: Tia Mouse

On Aug 25, 2007

This was a huge hit at our Spanish dinner party last night. The rating is a group rating for all 8 of us! I have never made paella, so I was a little nervous, but there was no need to be! I used whole chicken legs for the rabbit. It couldn't have been easier, and the entire recipe fit into a 12" round, 3" deep stove top pan. It needs to spread out rather than be in a stock pot. Otherwise it would become very sticky. I used Spanish rice (regular grocer!) and made the recipe as written. I don't know much about saffron. It was QUITE expensive, but I did use it. (Don't know whether it was worth it, because I haven't made it without!)

From: Nina Latina

On Jun 18, 2007

Loved it! This was a real hit with our guests as it was a group effort to prepare. The taste and presentation were fabulous! A perfect dinner party dish. We used Chicken breasts and thighs instead of Rabbit and replaced the green beans with asparagus. We also used arborio rice... very nice al dente texture!

From: Heydarl

On May 13, 2006

What a fabulous recipe! I used chicken instead of rabbit and, due to dietary restrictions, left out the tomato & tomato paste. I used a full tablespoon of smoky paprika (the smoky variety was worth looking for). The instructions were very easy to follow & worked perfectly. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

From: cmarie78

On Nov 26, 2007

This was great! I made it for my inlaws and it was a big hit. I subsituted peas for the green beans and added scallops. The saffron gies it a really nice flavor & is worth the extra expense.

From: Chef #566453

On Aug 22, 2007

This gets 5 stars, I tried to mark that.I lived in Spain for a while and this is exactly like a true Andoran Paella. This dish explodes with flavor. I lost my recipe from Spain and thanks to you I found it again.

From: Newly-Wed

On Dec 29, 2008

I made a vegetarian version. Used vegetable stock, artichokes, asparagus, fresh green beans, red and yellow bell peppers, and baby portobella mushrooms sliced. I also used stewed tomatoes and the sauce they were in rather than the paste and plum tomatoes and doubled the saffron! Delish!

From: Chickee

On Mar 26, 2007

Did I not review this??? It was GREAT! I used chicken breast (next time I'll use thigh on the bone or drumsticks), prawns and squid. Soooo yum! Exactly the way I remembered having it in Barcelona. Also loved the beans instead of peas!

From: chef_cmontes

On May 17, 2009

This is a great recipe! I made my own personal modifications based on our taste, but other wise left the recipe as is b/c it's so good. I carmelized my lemons a bit before adding them to the paella, and it gave it a great flavor. Extra Saffron is always a plus too.

From: mandagirl

On Dec 10, 2007

This is the best! I had a wonderful Spanish teacher in high school who made Paella with us. I love it, but never attempted to make it myself. Last week I had a "craving" for it, and decided on this recipe. It tastes just as I remember! The Spanish Saffron is so flavorful. (I usually buy Italian Saffron) Thank you for taking the time to write out the helpful hints throughout the recipe. I enjoyed making and especially eating this dish!

From: Chef #910147

On Aug 2, 2008

I just made this today, and it was EXCELLENT! My husband said it was some of the best paella he's ever had. I made a few mistakes that I will correct next time. I did mine in in an enameled dutch oven on the stove top. I ended up burning it badly to the bottom of the pan, so next time I will use lower heat and cook longer if necessary. I also might add the green beans later on (I added them towards the beginning). I left out the rabbit and chicken, and I used dried Thyme because fresh wasn't available. I also used bouillon with the added herbs. It still turned out great. It must be even better if you follow the directions exactly.