← Nouns Cooking · Spanish

Ingredients

• 1 l hot vegetable stock
• 1 pinch large pinch of saffron threads
• 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 150 g flat green beans, cut into 3 cm lengths
• 1 Courgette (zucchini), diced
• 3 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón dulce)
• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated, skins discarded
• 300 g paella rice (bomba or calasparra)
• 1 can tin of butter beans (400 g), drained
• 1 sprig Rosemary (optional)
• Salt
• 1 Lemon, cut into wedges

Method

1. Stir the saffron into the hot stock and keep it warm. Heat the oil in a 30–34 cm paella pan or your widest frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Fry the pepper strips and green beans for 5 min, until the pepper softens and blisters in spots. Add the onion and courgette and cook for 6 min more, until soft and lightly golden.
3. Stir in the garlic and paprika for 30 seconds, then add the grated tomato and cook for 5 min, until it darkens and thickens into a jammy sofrito.
4. Tip in the rice and stir for 1 minute to coat every grain. Pour in the stock, add the butter beans and season well with salt; the liquid should taste slightly too salty. Stir once to spread the rice evenly, lay the rosemary on top if using, then stop stirring.
5. Boil briskly for 8 min, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 8–10 min more, rotating the pan now and then, until the rice has absorbed the liquid and is just tender.
6. Turn the heat to high for 1–2 min, listening for a gentle crackle as the base toasts. Take off the heat, cover with a clean tea towel and rest for 5 min. Serve from the pan with lemon wedges.

Tips

• Fresh or frozen artichoke hearts, peas or asparagus can all go in with the beans; keep the total vegetables to about 600 g so the rice still cooks in a thin layer.
• Cool leftovers within 1 hour, refrigerate, and reheat until piping hot within a day.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Spain on a Fork BBC Good Food Directo al Paladar