How to Make the Best Paella de Conejo — the Soul of Andalusian “Arroz Serrano”
- Christoph Van Daele
- Nov 8
- 3 min read
(A story, a recipe, and a slow ritual from the heart of the Sierra)
In Andalucía, rice is more than a meal — it’s a moment. A Sunday. A smell drifting through the olive trees. It’s laughter, the sound of a spoon scraping the paellera, and the satisfying hush when the socarrat — that golden, crispy layer at the bottom — is finally revealed.
Among all the Andalusian rice dishes, there’s one that carries the wild, earthy heart of the mountains: the Arroz Serrano, also known as Paella de Conejo. Unlike the seafood paellas from Valencia, this one comes from the inland villages — where rabbits run between rosemary and thyme, and where rice is cooked slowly, over a wood fire if you’re lucky.
So, if you want to make a paella that tastes of sun, thyme, and stone — here’s how to do it.
🥘 Ingredients (for 4 people)
1 rabbit (conejo), cut into medium pieces
2 ripe tomatoes, grated
1 green pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 sprig of rosemary (romero)
A few strands of saffron (or a pinch of turmeric if you must)
1 teaspoon sweet paprika (pimentón dulce)
350 g round rice (arroz bomba or calasparra)
About 1.2 liters of hot broth (chicken or vegetable)
Olive oil (generously)
Salt
Optional: a handful of fresh green beans, artichoke hearts, or a few pieces of wild boar (jabalí) for a rustic twist
Step by Step — The Andalusian Way
1. Prepare the soul: the sofrito
Heat olive oil in your paellera or a wide, shallow pan. Add the rabbit pieces and brown them slowly until golden and aromatic. This is where the magic begins — the caramelization gives the rice its deep flavor.
Once the rabbit is browned, add the chopped garlic and pepper. Stir gently, let them soften. Then add the grated tomatoes, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Let it all simmer into a thick, fragrant sofrito.
Tip from the abuelas: never rush the sofrito — it’s the heart of your rice.
2. Add the broth and the mountain herbs
Pour in your hot broth, add the saffron and the rosemary.Let it boil for a few minutes so the flavors mingle. The smell should now fill your kitchen — earthy, herbal, warm.
3. Rice time
Add the rice in a cross shape — la cruz del arroz. Stir once, spreading it evenly across the pan. From now on, do not stir again.
The rice must stay still, like a calm lake, say the locals.
Cook on high heat for about 10 minutes, then reduce to low for another 8–10 minutes, until the broth has been absorbed and a slight crackling sound announces the birth of the socarrat.
4. The wait — “a reposar”
Remove the pan from the heat. Cover it lightly with a clean kitchen cloth and let it rest for five minutes.
This pause, like all pauses in life, allows the flavors to settle — and the rice to become its best self.
Serving — The Lento Way
Bring the pan straight to the table. No plates yet.Gather everyone around. Let them smell first. Then scoop from the edge toward the center — everyone gets a little of the crisp bottom, a bit of meat, a bit of tenderness.
Serve it with a glass of local red from the Alpujarras, or a cold craft beer (perhaps a Lento Lento, brewed just a few valleys away).
A final word
To cook arroz serrano is to cook with rhythm — slow, deliberate, connected. It’s a dish that tastes of time and terrain, of mountains and memory.
Here in Nigüelas, at Alquería de los Lentos, we often prepare it outdoors — under the olive trees, with music in the background and a soft mountain breeze. Every grain tells the story of Andalucía: humble ingredients, cooked with patience, and shared with joy.
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