Spanish · Vegan
Roast fennel and aubergine paella
A vegetarian twist on Spanish paella featuring roasted Mediterranean vegetables with saffron rice and peas. This colorful one-pan dish captures the essence of traditional paella while showcasing seasonal vegetables with authentic Spanish flavors.
The Method
Instructions
First things first, grab your roasting tray and toss in the fennel, baby aubergine, red pepper, and courgette. Drizzle a generous glug of olive oil over all those lovely veggies. Then, sprinkle some salt and black pepper to season them well. Give everything a good toss with your hands or a spoon, making sure every piece is nicely coated in that olive oil. Pop the tray into your preheated oven and roast for about 20 minutes . Be sure to turn the vegetables a couple of times during roasting so they cook evenly and start to turn that beautiful golden colour. You're looking for them to be tender and caramelised, with some edges crisped up just right.
While the veggies are roasting away, it's time to start on your paella base. Grab your paella pan or a large frying pan and heat it over a low to medium heat . Add another glug of olive oil to the pan , you want just enough to gently cook the onion without frying it too quickly. Add your chopped onion and let it soften slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes . You want the onion to become soft and translucent, almost melting into the pan, releasing all that sweet flavour.
Next, turn the heat up to a steady medium and stir in your paella rice, along with the paprika and saffron. Keep stirring for about a minute or so; you're letting the rice toast a little and the spices to bloom, which really wakes up the flavours. Now pour in the white wine, and listen to that lovely sizzle. Let it bubble away gently until the wine has reduced by about half , this usually takes a few minutes and it intensifies the taste beautifully.
Once the wine has reduced, stir in about two thirds of your vegetable stock. Bring everything down to a gentle simmer and let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes . Don't forget to stir every now and then so the rice cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the pan. The rice will start soaking up the liquid and becoming tender, but still with a bit of bite.
Now it's time to add in the frozen peas and season with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in all your roasted vegetables, being careful not to mush them up , you want to keep their shape and that lovely roasted texture. Pour over the remaining stock, then arrange the lemon wedges on top. Cover the pan with a lid or some aluminium foil to lock in the steam, and cook everything on a low heat for another 10 minutes . This will let the flavours meld beautifully and finish cooking the rice perfectly.
For that classic paella finish, the prized crunchy layer of rice at the bottom called socarrat, crank up the heat to high until you hear a gentle crackling sound. This will toast the rice just right without burning it. Once you hear that satisfying crackle, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes . This little pause helps the flavours settle and the rice firm up a bit.
Finally, sprinkle over plenty of fresh parsley for a bright, herby finish. Then, serve your beautiful roast fennel and aubergine paella straight from the pan, maybe with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything up. Enjoy every spoonful of this comforting, flavour packed Spanish classic!
While the veggies are roasting away, it's time to start on your paella base. Grab your paella pan or a large frying pan and heat it over a low to medium heat . Add another glug of olive oil to the pan , you want just enough to gently cook the onion without frying it too quickly. Add your chopped onion and let it soften slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 8 to 10 minutes . You want the onion to become soft and translucent, almost melting into the pan, releasing all that sweet flavour.
Next, turn the heat up to a steady medium and stir in your paella rice, along with the paprika and saffron. Keep stirring for about a minute or so; you're letting the rice toast a little and the spices to bloom, which really wakes up the flavours. Now pour in the white wine, and listen to that lovely sizzle. Let it bubble away gently until the wine has reduced by about half , this usually takes a few minutes and it intensifies the taste beautifully.
Once the wine has reduced, stir in about two thirds of your vegetable stock. Bring everything down to a gentle simmer and let it cook uncovered for 10 minutes . Don't forget to stir every now and then so the rice cooks evenly and nothing sticks to the pan. The rice will start soaking up the liquid and becoming tender, but still with a bit of bite.
Now it's time to add in the frozen peas and season with a little extra salt and pepper to taste. Gently fold in all your roasted vegetables, being careful not to mush them up , you want to keep their shape and that lovely roasted texture. Pour over the remaining stock, then arrange the lemon wedges on top. Cover the pan with a lid or some aluminium foil to lock in the steam, and cook everything on a low heat for another 10 minutes . This will let the flavours meld beautifully and finish cooking the rice perfectly.
For that classic paella finish, the prized crunchy layer of rice at the bottom called socarrat, crank up the heat to high until you hear a gentle crackling sound. This will toast the rice just right without burning it. Once you hear that satisfying crackle, remove the pan from the heat and let it rest for about 5 minutes . This little pause helps the flavours settle and the rice firm up a bit.
Finally, sprinkle over plenty of fresh parsley for a bright, herby finish. Then, serve your beautiful roast fennel and aubergine paella straight from the pan, maybe with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten everything up. Enjoy every spoonful of this comforting, flavour packed Spanish classic!
Pairs Well With
