Spanish Restaurant Miguel I Juani with 7 Outposts in Japan Wins International Paella Valenciana Contest

World Paella Day is officially upon us (is celebrated on September 20) and what better way to celebrate it than in with the annual international paella valenciana competition in Sueca, Valencia!

This popular event, now in its 63^rd edition, brings together top chefs from around the world for a delicious event but, even more importantly, it shines a light on Spain’s most famous rice dish.

The winning restaurant, and the chefs behind the world’s best paella valenciana, was Miguel i Juani, based in the town of L’ Alcudia (Valencia). This restaurant is one of the greatest ambassadors of paella valenciana in the World. In fact, this restaurant has seven different outposts in Japan alone, specifically in Tokyo (4), Yokohama (2), and Osaka (1) where paella valenciana is very popular.

The second prize went to the Atlantis restaurant in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands), and the third prize went to Socarrat Restaurante, in Miramar, Buenos Aires (Argentina), according to the jury's decision. Aside this acknowledgments, Simply Spanish, in Australia, won the award for the best paella valenciana cooked by a restaurant outside of Spain.

Authentic paella valenciana originally comes from Valencia, and is made from a series of specific ingredients, although it can be made all over the world under these premises. Below is the recipe for paella valenciana that the Sueca competition includes in its website.

Ingredientes

• 400 grams of rice from Sueca.
• 800 grams of chicken.
• 400 grams of rabbit.
• A dozen snails.
• 400 grams of white beans.
• 150 grams of haricot.
• 300 grams of green beans.
• Olive oil.
• 1 garlic clove peeled and minced.
• 1 ripe tomato crushed.
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper.
• Saffron threads, salt, sprig of rosemary (optional).

Instructions:

1. The first thing we need to do is cut the chicken and rabbit meat into regular pieces. With these two ingredients already prepared we will turn the fire on. We add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot we add the previously salted meat and we let it fry softly. 
2. When the meat is done, we add the vegetables and we fry them.
3. Then, we add the garlic, the cayenne pepper and the tomato.
4. Next, we add two liters of water and the opened snails. We leave the whole thing boiling for ten minutes.
5. Then we distribute the rice all over the pan and we let it cook on a very hot fire for eight minutes.
6. After that we lower the fire and leave it for ten minutes, so it gets browned.