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When most people think of classic Spanish rice dishes they probably think of paella... Beautiful Spanish beaches with a glass of sangria and that quintessential rice dish; bliss. Now I know Jamie Oliver got himself in a lot of trouble for his interpretation of a paella. Indeed a Valencian will tell you that Paella is a specific set of ingredients - chorizo and chicken is a definite no! You will be politely reminded that most so called paellas should in fact be called ‘So and so’s rice dish’. So if Pedro makes a chorizo chicken paella (Pedro being my go-to ‘typical’ Spanish name), then he should call it 'Pedro's rice dish'. Paella is Valencian in origin, yet whenever I meet a Valencian they tell me that their quintessential dish is actually Arroz al Horno (literally meaning: rice in the oven). This is what I am cooking up today. In many ways, Arroz al Horno is similar to a paella, the main difference being that it is oven baked, not pan cooked over fire. This is the dish they pander for whilst over here in Blighty; this is what they rushed home from school for to desperately ask grandma “is it done yet?”...They probably asked in Spanish (or Valencian) mind you… I was recently sent a little comic about this dish from a Valencian friend of mine which sums this up nicely... bear in mind that in the Valencian language this dish is called 'Arroz al Forn'. *I am unaware of the joke's original source*
If you haven't been to Valencia then I implore you to do so. It has the beaches, history, culture and most importantly, the food. It also has one of the world's most stunning markets. And no, I’m not working for the Valencian tourist board, but I do think great food is tied to great places and experiences. Whether you travel there or not, this dish has entered my heart from my trip to Valencia and I regularly make it at home; it is hearty, filling and ever so more-ish. It is a Valencian comfort food and even if paella remains more popular, this little dish is one that deserves a spot of the limelight. Make a big batch and stuff your face!
Notes on the Ingredients: Rice: For the best results use Bomba Rice (paella rice), Though using arborio or a similar risotto rice will work too). I've suggested a ¼cup of rice per portion. I would suggest that purchasing cup measures is a sensible investment, they are very helpful for not ending up with a weeks supply of cooked rice rather than just a lunch portion. Normally ¼ - ⅓ cup is a 1 person portion of rice, cous-cous or other similar grains like barley. For this recipe, as there is potato and chickpeas to add bulk the slightly smaller portion should suffice but that is down to preference. Black Pudding: I use tend to use British or Irish black pudding in my dish, but using morcilla (Spanish black pudding) is more authentic. This tends to use rice rather than oats and often involves onion but the basic result will remain the same. Ribs: If you want your ribs to be tender then I suggest you simmer them as per the pre-method below. It requires a touch of planning as it needs 1 and a half hours usually but it only takes 5 minutes to throw in the pot and retrieve later. However the ribs can be coloured in the pan with the bacon and black pudding and cooked together with the rest but expect them to be a little chewier this way,
Serves: 4 Prep Time: 30 mins (2hours if pre-cooking the ribs) Cooking time: 40 mins
Ingredients:
200g of Black pudding (or as much as your body can handle)
6 Baby Back Pork Ribs
200g of Smoked Bacon/Pancetta
1 Onion
2 Tomatoes - sliced
2 waxy potatoes (I use Cyprus) - thinly sliced
1 tin of chickpeas
Bomba (paella) Rice 1 cup - ¼ cup pp
100g of Passata
Chicken stock - 1.5x volume of rice
Garlic (whole bulb)
Saffron or Yellow Colourant (a few flecks of saffron or a half teaspoon of colourant)
Ingredients to Simmer the Ribs:
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tablespoon of sugar (brown is preferable)
2 Tablespoons of salt
2 cloves
6 Peppercorns
Pre method (optional):
Bring a large pot of water to the boil, season with bay leaves, pepper, sugar, salt and cloves. Add the ribs, cover with a lid and turn down to a low temperature to simmer for 1-2 hours so that the meat is tender. These ribs can be added to the rest of the dish later.
Method: 1). Add a tiny dash of oil to the pan and brown the bacon at high heat. Put aside when it’s done and lightly fry the black pudding on a medium heat until it darkens. Put this aside with the bacon. 2). Add the finely chopped onion to the pan (you should have fat in the pan from the bacon but add more oil of needed) and cook for 5 minutes (until they soften). 3). Add the rice, passata, chickpeas and chicken stock. 4). Add saffron infused water or yellow colourant, add a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and simmer on a low heat for a couple minutes to combine the ingredients. 5). Add the potato before pouring into a large ceramic dish. 6). Put the tomato slices, ribs, black pudding, and bacon on top of the rice mixture. 7). Cut a garlic bulb in half and place both slices on top. 8). Put in the oven at 220 degrees, uncovered for 40 minutes (or when the rice/potato is cooked). 9). Serve hot or cold with a salad.
