Vegan Paella for 10
Vegan Paella for 10
Ingredients
- 3cups bomba rice (or Arborio rice)
- 6cups vegetable broth
- 1large onion, finely chopped
- 4cloves garlic, minced
- 1red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2large tomatoes, grated (discard skin)
- 1cup green beans, trimmed and halved
- 1cup lima beans (garrofó) or broad beans
- 1/2cup olive oil
- 1tsp sweet paprika (pimentón dulce)
- 1/4tsp saffron threads
- 2tsp salt
- 1/2tsp black pepper
- 1sprig fresh rosemary
- 1/4cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1lemon cut into wedges
Instructions
Chef's Notes
Origins & Essential Ingredients
Paella is perhaps the best known of dishes from Spain. The most important ingredients are the paella rice and saffron, both of which were introduced to Spain by the Moors during their 800 year occupation of the Iberian peninsula.
Traditions and disagreements abound about how to make a good paella. Paella rice and saffron are essential, but the rest of the ingredients are best left to the cook's imagination.
The Rice
Paella rice is short grain and similar in look to arborio, used for risotto, or Japanese rice used in sushi. It differs in the way it responds to cooking. It does not expel as much starch instead it absorbs a lot of liquid. Each grain of rice will contain the flavor of the whole paella.
The rice cooks unstirred for the entire process except at the very beginning when you are mixing the stock. This is because we always strive to produce socarrat, the crunchy rice that develops at the bottom of the pan.
Proportions & Pan Size
We calculate about 1/3 cup of rice per person. This measurement determines the size of your paella pan. A paella for 3 people would need 1 cup of rice, which needs to spread out thinly on the bottom of the pan. Consequently for three people you would need a paella which is about 12 inches in size. For 15 to 18 people, you would need a pan about 22 inches in size, and so on.
Liquid Ratios
Because we cook the rice uncovered, there is going to be more evaporation than in traditional methods. For most rices we use one part rice to 1.5 parts liquid. In paella we need more liquid: 2 parts liquid for Bomba rice and up to 4 parts liquid for Calasparra rice.
Heat Distribution
The challenge for cooking paella is to heat it evenly. There are several methods you can use. At home and without special equipment you would cook it over 2 burners, if making a medium size paella, and rotate throughout the cooking so every part of the paella will be cooked.
You can also do this over a grill, controlling the heat to produce even results. In Spain it is common to have a special burner with concentric rings that automatically distributes heat evenly.