(my take on a) paella
i have no doubt that there will be something missing or incorrect with the recipe, and that’s alright in my eyes. cooking is meant for experimentation, and this isn’t a properly authentic Spanish paella. If it was, I’d shove seafood in it and my name would be Javier or something. But I’m vegan, so nah to that. However I do know one thing, NEVER STIR THE RICE.
if you want to make for more than 2 people, double up, the rule of thumb is 100g rice serves 1.
SERVES 2 PEOPLE
8 min prep + 20 min cooking = 28 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
200g arroz (paella) rice
1 litre veggie stock
Pinch of saffron
4 garlic cloves
1 red pepper
125g shiitake mushrooms (or vegan chicken if you’d like)
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp turmeric (if you want it looking properly golden but I didn’t need it)
80g frozen peas
100g green beans
2 stalks of fresh rosemary
2 small tomatoes
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
METHOD:
A grate idea would be to get your cheese grater and use it for something that’s not cheese. Instead, peel and grate the four garlic cloves gently as well as the two tomatoes into a bowl, discarding the skins. Leave to one side.
Chop your mushrooms and peppers into slices then whack them in a large frying pan (or paella pan) on high heat with some oil and a pinch of salt. Once softened and starting to char, add the grated garlic and tomato mix as well as the spices. Lower the heat to a medium please babes and stir.
In stock, is my cookbook that you should have by now, but also should have the saffron in. Stir the saffron into the veggie stock basically, then add the rice and the green beans to the pan as well as half the stock.
The important bit here, hence why it’s in bold, but DO NOT STIR THE RICE UNTIL THE VERY END. This allows you to have properly cooked rice as well as bits of rice starting to crisp up and stick to the bottom, which to me is the best part. Cover the pan with tin foil or the lid of the pan and let it bubble away for 15-20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked. Halfway through, lift the lid or foil and add in the rest of the stock.
Rosemary babe, do you have a lighter? Well if you do, light up both of the stalks until they start to smoke. If you have a gas hob, do that carefully and directly over the flame. Open the lid of the paella, throw the stalk in, and close it. Rosemary infusion innit.
Once the rice is fully cooked through, add the peas and stir, scraping up all those sticky bits at the bottom. Add a splash of water if needed, then finish with the other rosemary stalk, a squeeze of lemon juice, salt and pepper. How do the Spanish say ‘done?’