I recently purchased Anna Jones's first book A Modern Way to Eat. This is one of the first recipes I have tried in the book and it came out tasting great!
This is a vegetarian paella filled with flavor from the saffron and paprika. This recipe is a perfect winter Sunday night meal because it is warm and tasty. You can make a large portion of this dish and have plenty of leftovers for the week. It may be tempting when you are making the paella to stir the rice but do resist the urge to stir because the rice won't cook properly. You can also leave the rice on for an extra few minutes, in the end, to make a crispy bottom if you like that crunch. I personally love adding texture to my meals and I love the crispy rice!
Anna Jones is a phenomenal vegetarian chef and writer. The recipes in her cookbook are light, fresh, and unique. I loved this paella from her recipe book!
Paella with Artichokes and Peppers
Serving size: 4
Total Time: 35 mins
Source: Adapted from A Modern Way to Eat cookbook by Anna Jones
2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
2 red peppers, finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon saffron
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups paella rice (calasparra or risotto rice)
1/4 cups dry sherry or white wine
A small bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped
2 big handfuls of spinach, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Step 1: Put a large saute pan on medium heat. Add a little olive oil, then the onions and red peppers, and allow to cook for 10 mins, until soft.
Step 2: Add the garlic and fennel seeds and for another 5 mins, until the onions begin to brown a little. While that’s cooking, stir the saffron into the vegetable stock and set aside.
Step 3: Add a little more oil to the pan and turn the heat up. Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes, until it is completely coated in the oil, then pour in the sherry or wine and continue to cook until the alcohol evaporates. Add half the chopped parsley and the smoked paprika, season with salt and pepper. You can use dried parsley or leave it out if you don't have it.
Step 4: Pour in the stock and turn the heat down to medium. Leave your paella alone and try not to stir it, as it will settle and the stock will find little channels through the rice. Stirring the rice will mean it doesn’t cook evenly.
Step 5: Cook for 20 mins, until there is about a little liquid bubbling on top of the rice. Scatter the artichokes on top and push them down into the liquid to warm them through. Lay the spinach on top and push this down into the liquid, too. Cook without stirring for another 5 mins, then turn off the heat and cover with a lid and leave to sit for 5 mins. The cooking time for the rice will vary depending on the type of rice you use. For risotto rice, the cooking of the rice took a little longer.
Step 6: Add the remaining parsley, if using, and the lemon juice. Serve with a glass of white wine. Enjoy!
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