⚠️ Source-confidence note: recorded in a Valencian home-recipe collection hosted by the Universitat de València (uv.es/baldovi), which gives no town attribution. The town variations below are therefore not documented.
01Geographic & Texture Profile
- Primary Geographic Zone: Province of València (home cooking; town not specified).
- Liquid & Texture Profile: Seco (dry). Cooked "until dry", covered with a lid or cloth if it dries too fast.
- Traditional Cooking Vessel & Fuel: A paella over wood or gas.
02Historical & Cultural Context
A winter paella of the pig-and-cabbage season. Pork ribs and a piece of pork liver are browned with cauliflower florets (and optional alls tendres) until the cauliflower takes colour. It shows how flexible the Valencian paella frame is: when the summer beans of the paella valenciana are out of season, households switched to cauliflower and pork. The collection serves it, like its other paellas, with lime quarters.
Culinary science: browned cauliflower develops nutty pyrazines and sweet notes. Liver adds iron-rich savour, and some of it breaks down into the broth. Black pepper (half a teaspoon) is unusually generous for a Valencian paella and suits the pork.
03Local Town-by-Town Variations
- Recorded version (uv.es/baldovi): Ribs + liver + cauliflower + optional young garlic, paprika, black pepper, saffron.
- Related: Arroz con bacalao y coliflor (the Lenten cod-and-cauliflower version) and arròs de sèpia i col-i-flor (caldós).
- ⚠️ Town variants are not documented.
04The Master Recipe (4-Person Batch Blueprint)
Variant represented: recorded version (published quantities).
The Flavor Base (El Fondo)
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Pork ribs, small | 200 g |
| Pork liver | 125 g |
| Cauliflower florets | 500 g |
| Alls tendres (optional) | 5–6 |
| Olive oil | 150 ml |
| Pimentón | ½ tbsp |
| Black pepper | ½ tsp |
| Saffron, salt | to taste |
Assembly Ratios
| Element | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Rice | 400 g |
| Water | 2 × rice volume (≈ 0.9–1 L) |
Step-by-Step Cooking Blueprint
- Brown: Brown the ribs and liver in the oil. Add the cauliflower and garlic and fry until coloured.
- Paprika and water: Add the pimentón (seconds), then the water, saffron and pepper. Boil.
- Rice: When the meat is cooked, adjust the salt and water and add the rice.
- Fire: High heat, then low, until dry. Cover with a lid or cloth if it dries too quickly.
- Rest: Briefly. Serve with lime quarters.
