Cut 4 strips of red bell pepper, each about 1 inch long, and fry them in a little oil. Set aside on a small plate.

Bring a pot with 5 1/2 cups water (1.3 liters) and a pinch of salt to a boil.

Cut the 1/3 rabbit into 8–10 pieces (with bone) and season with salt.

Boil the snails (frozen and already cleaned in this case) for 20–30 minutes with thyme, rosemary, and salt. Wild snails are best, but they must be cleaned thoroughly. Frozen snails are already cleaned and ready to cook.

Start the sofrito: In a skillet, fry the rabbit over high heat for 10–12 minutes. Then add thyme and rosemary sprigs (or however you have them) and the whole head of garlic (make a shallow cut all around the head). Fry for another 12 minutes. Don't worry about overcooking the rabbit—it should be very well done, almost charred; that's the trick.

When the rabbit is ready, add it to the pot of boiling water along with the thyme and rosemary sprigs. Cook for 30 minutes.

Keep the head of garlic in the skillet, add the grated tomato, and sauté until the tomato's moisture evaporates. Turn off the heat, add the fried pepper, 1 heaping teaspoon of sweet paprika, stir quickly, then add the rice and mix (with the heat off).

Transfer the rice mixture and the head of garlic to the paella pan (off the heat). Turn on the heat under the paella pan and sauté the rice for 3–4 minutes. Add the rabbit, snails, and about 3 cups (750 ml) of strained broth.

Cooking times may vary depending on your stove. Stay close to the paella and keep an eye on it. If you need to add more broth, do so carefully and gradually to avoid disturbing the rice.

Using less rice gives you a thin, flavorful paella like the one in the photo.

I hope you liked the recipe and understood all the steps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. If you try the recipe, share it with me—I'd love to see it! Enjoy!