paella with pea shoots

Serves 4
Prep time: 50 mins

This is a version of Yotam Ottolenghi’s Multi-Vegetable Paella, based on what I happened to have in my fridge last night.  I scattered pea shoots over it, which I have grown in a tray from an ancient packet of Leo Peas that had been at the back of my cupboard for a long time.  Fresh, crunchy pea shoots and unctuous paella rice go together very nicely.

Ingredients
One large onion, sliced
Garlic, one clove, crushed
Olive oil, 2 tbsp
One large pepper or several small ones, sliced
Two portobello mushrooms, sliced
Paella rice, 350g
Two bay leaves
Turmeric, 1/2 tsp
Smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp
Cayenne powder, 1/2 tsp
Sherry, 100ml
Hot vegetable stock, 900ml
Salt and pepper
To serve: lemon wedges, fresh pea shoots

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy based frying pan.  Add the onion and fry for six or seven minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the peppers and fry for five minutes.  Add the mushrooms and fry for five minutes.  Add the garlic, fry for another minute, then add the bay leaves, spices and pepper.  Stir into the veg and fry for a further two minutes, before pouring in the rice.

Give it all a good stir for a couple of minutes until the rice grains are well coated and translucent.  Sprinkle over the sherry and turn up the heat for two minutes for the alcohol to burn off.

Pour in the hot stock and sprinkle over a good few pinches of salt.  Turn the heat down and allow to simmer very slowly without stirring for about 30 minutes until nearly all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Serve with lemon wedges and scattered pea shoots.