Spain GP 2021: Vegetable Paella
In case my love of paella isn’t made clear by the fact that this is indeed my third recipe in just a few years, then I will extol the virtues of it here, so you can love it as much as I do. This classic Spanish rice dish can be as fancy or simple as you want it to be. It can rich with seafood and be finished with mussels, shrimp, and scallops. It can also be made with freezer staples or even canned vegetables. It is equally satisfying vegetarian as it is with meats and seafood. It cooks surprisingly quickly and serves a crowd.
This is a lovely vegetarian version with complementary flavors of artichoke hearts, fresh green beans, lima beans, and of course saffron to give it that classic paella flavor. I have started keeping a package of artichoke hearts in my freezer, and it has served me well — for pizzas, paella, and frittata, it is a versatile vegetable and a thousand times easier than cleaning your own artichokes!
This could be a meal unto itself, but can easily be complemented by a few other vegetables or side dishes of your choosing. I tried a few from a new cookbook La Cocina de Mama: Green Beans with Garlic and Vinegar and Sherry Infused Sliced Potatoes. Both were delicious and the meal was savory and satisfying. Served with a few sparkly cocktails and shared with good friends made for an excellent way to spend the day!
Have I also mentioned that I love F1-inspired art? Feel free to peruse back in the files of F1Cookbook to see some of the original art that got me interested in F1 such as PJ Tierney and former F1 team Manor’s gorgeous race posters.
There is still some great stuff coming out of some of the teams, I especially love Alfa Romeo’s art by Jalcalara (@jalcalara_racing). Other contenders are Ferrari, Alpha Tauri, and Alpine doing lovely race posters for the 2021 races.
Vegetable Paella
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ red bell pepper, roughly diced
20 green beans cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces artichoke hearts, canned or frozen
½ onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 cup pre-cooked lima beans, canned or frozen
2 ½ cups vegetable broth
1/2 tsp saffron threads
1 cup short grain rice such as Arborio, round rice, or sushi rice
sea salt
black pepper
1 small lemon, cut into wedges (for serving)
Parsley, for garnish
1.Heat a paella pan with a medium-high heat and add in olive oil, after 1 minute season the olive oil with sea salt and add in the chopped bell pepper, the cut green beans and the artichoke hearts, mix the vegetables with the olive oil, cook for 3 minutes, then add in the diced onions and continue to mix for an additional 2-3 minutes, once the onions are translucent, make a well in the pan and add in the minced garlic, cook for 30 seconds and then add in smoked paprika and mix it all together.
2. Add in tomato sauce, lima beans, and season with sea salt & black pepper, mix everything together until well combined, cooking for an additional minute. Pour in 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth, pinch in saffron threads and give it a gentle mix, once the broth comes to a boil, let it boil for an extra minute so the saffron can really infuse into the broth
3. Add rice and give it a gentle mix so everything is evenly combined, after this step, do not mix the rice again, as it disturbs the way the rice cooks. Trust it!
4. Cook on high for 8 minutes, then lower the heat to low-medium and simmer for 4- 5 minutes, once there is virtually no broth left, raise the heat to medium-high and cook for 1-2 minutes, this will help create the “socarrat”, (the classic layer of caramelized burnt rice underneath - which I cannot produce because I have a non-stick paella pan, but I recommend you try for!), then remove the pan from the heat and cover with a clean dishcloth, after 5 minutes uncover the paella pan, garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley, and serve.
Adapted from Albert Bevia @ Spain on a Fork