22 March 2011

Ottolenghi's Multi Vegetable Paella

Ottolenghi's Multi Vegetable Paella

If I had to choose one recipe to eat for the rest of my life this multi-vegetable paella just may be it! The recipe comes from Yotam Ottolenghi's latest cookbook Plenty which is a compilation of his recipes from the Guardian. I'm not a vegetarian and neither is Chef Ottolenghi, but he has a fresh and exciting way with vegetables whether they are to be served on their own or as an accompaniment.



The paella shines on the plate and amazingly all the individual flavours sing out, from the peppers through to the broad beans. Unfortunately or fortuitously, depending on whether you see your glass as half empty or half full, I couldn't find broad beans so substituted sugar snap peas. Carrots, zucchinis, and peas can all be used in making this dish, with slight adjustments to the cooking times.  Use your best judgement. The recipe you see here is in the original form and is limited only by your imagination!. Food like this just might tempt me to become a vegetarian full time and it has certainly renewed my love for Chef Ottolenghi! The thing is I could never give up chicken, the occasional hamburger or my beloved salmon and halibut because I simply choose not to.



**Multi Vegetable Paella**

3 tablespoons olive oil
½ Spanish onion, finely chopped
½ red, green and yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into thin strips
½ fennel bulb, cut into strips
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 bay leaves
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon cayenne
150g Calasparra rice
100ml sherry
1 teaspoon saffron strands
500ml boiling vegetable stock
Sea salt
12 mini plum tomatoes
5 small grilled jarred artichokes, quartered
300g podded broad beans, blanched and skinned
10 pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
4 lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the oil in a paella or large, shallow frying pan, then gently fry the onion for five minutes. Add the peppers and fennel, and fry over medium heat until soft and golden - about eight minutes. Add the garlic, cook for a minute, then add the bay leaves and spices, stir, add the rice and cook, stirring, for two minutes. Add the sherry and saffron, boil down for a minute, then add the stock and a third of a teaspoon of salt. Reduce the heat as low as it will go and leave to simmer for 20 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir: the low heat will prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and add salt if needed, but avoid stirring the rice and vegetables much. Scatter the tomatoes, artichokes and beans over the rice, cover the pan tightly with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Take off the foil, scatter the olives on top, sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves two, generously.



You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author and or owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison. Best Blogger Tips

31 comments:

  1. I'm with you...I couldn't give up meat totally, but dishes like these certainly do tempt me to eat more and more meat free meals. This looks delicious!

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  2. This looks really good. I like seafood paella a lot. I haven't tried the purely vegetarian version but you have inspired me. As to giving up meat, I did that about five years ago to become pescatarian (so we eat seafood). It was an adjustment but not nearly as bad as yo make it sound here. I used to miss chicken then proscuitto but now I'm fine. Strangely the smell of meat turns me off a bit now. Funny how you can change. Either way, meat or not, your recipe sounds good and I think that it is a great idea for health and flavor to eat veggies often. They keep you younger.

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  3. I love the colors and variety of vegetables in this paella. It's rare that I see a paella that is meat-free, this one looks delicious.

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  4. Mmmmm. This looks great. I love vegetables!

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  5. I made a vegetarian paella for a (catering) client. On the side I had a few choices of grilled meats that the non-veg people could add. I think this non-meat paella also offers versatility when you don't have meats and fishes on hand.

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  6. Very healthy and beautiful! That paella must be scrumptious.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  7. I agree with you that Ottolenghi has a very original approach to vegetables... And can you find Calasparra rice over there?? Amazing!! The paella looks scrumptious.

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  8. Oh my goodness, look how colorful and healthful! Absolutely gorgeous!

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  9. My dad is a pescatarian and has always been. He is now 82 years old and he still skiis every day during the winter. You may just be right about being vegetarian keeping you younger. I eat a lot of vegetarian meals but I love meat so choose not to give it up altogether!!!!!! My mom has.

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  10. That is some pretty high praise! I don't doubt it, though...it sounds delicious. I don't want to give up meat, either...but I definitely don't mind not eating it all the time :D

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  11. Vall look absolutely wonderful! nice dish! gloria

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  12. i'm loving the sound and look of a veggie paella. I don't do shellfish, so i typically miss out on the wonderful joys this Spanish dish offers. everything about looks wonderful.

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  13. I could never be a vegetarian either but I love wonderful ways to eat more veggies so this sounds wonderful and I love regular paella.

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  14. What a beautiful and tasty way to work more vegetables into the diet.

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  15. Hi there Val. I was just peeking at some older posts of mine, and saw you had left a message a while back on a potato quiche I made. So sorry for not seeing it earlier and responding. I tend to post nearly every day, and sometimes I do forget to back track and be sure to say hello to anyone new who may have stopped by. So...hello!!! I am going to go check out your yummy looking blog now. I can see that I will be back!!!!!

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  16. Val, your blog is delicious, and I am your newest follower!

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  17. Beautiful paella, Val..it's a keeper

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  18. I am still waiting to get Plenty from Amazing but you've made me want it even MORE. This paella is beautiful...so colorful!

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  19. Paella is one of my favorite dishes.

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  20. Oh, I love Paella...! I've never had the vegetarian one though, but it looks great :).

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  21. Beautifully done. Ottolenghi is one of my favourite places to eat, and their cookbooks are wonderful. THey've never let me down.
    *kisses* HH

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  22. I'm trying to go meatless 3 days a week...a recipe like this would allow me to add another day! So rich in flavor and that ingredient list is chock full of everything I love!

    Ottolenghi cookbooks are perfection, aren't they, Val?

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  23. Muy bueno! I like the addition of sherry in this recipe.

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  24. Val, I have never heard of a vegetarian paella and am so glad that you shared this because I'm allergic to shellfish (which most paella recipes include). It sounds delicious! I am thoroughly enjoying the significantly decreased amount of meat in my nutrition and my energy and lower weight show it too!

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  25. What a glorious recipe Val. I have one question though, are the artichokes water packed or marinated? I think this would be a perfect dish for the vegetarians who will be joining us on Easter Sunday. Thanks for sharing. I'm going to try and get a copy of his book.
    Have a wonderful day. Blessings...Mary

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  26. excellent array of spices and veggies, val! this is a version of paella that rises above most others i've seen--well done.

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  27. This is such an interesting way of getting all your veggies and as you did, substitutions are just so simple once you adjust for cooking times. The layering of veggies would create really interesting flavours - good job!!!

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  28. I love the combination of all the vegetables in this paella, healthy and delicious!

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  29. I absolutely would have my slice of crusty bread ready and willing to dig into this wonderful and flavourful veggie paella...perfect!

    Ciao for now,
    Claudia

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  30. I could never become a fulltime vegetarian but we have learned to love our vegetables a lot more since being in Turkey. I've never thought of a vegetarian paella before. Might give this a try this week; it looks really tasty.

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  31. Val,
    How well does the dish hold? I have a hot vegetarian dish to make to accompany our tasting lunch for the Edmonton Slow Food Eat Alberta conference I am planning as the lunch donation isn't quite enough. We had thought of vegetarian chili. We will have 75 mouths to feed and I have looked at this and thought with the other items, that it would serve 6 small servings (like a soup cup size). Am I right? If so, I would have to multiply the recipe about 13 times for our conference - which is entirely possible - but I would have to do it two days in advance. Well, I would have to prepare everything two days in advance and cook it all the day prior, then plate and reheat the day after (conference day). Would this work - or should I stick with a vegetarian chili. This is a very high compliment you gave to this dish and I know this chef is a master, so I was thinking this may be a wonderful addition to our noon meal????
    :)
    Valerie

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Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions, and daily encouragement.

Val

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