ARROZ DE VERDURAS (VEGETABLE RICE)

Arroz de Verduras (Vegetable Rice) image

Provided by Elaine Louie

Categories dinner, lunch, weekday, main course, side dish

Time 1h

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

2 large tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
Generous pinch of saffron threads
2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound rice, preferably Bomba or Calasparra
4 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups carrots, cut into one-third to one-half inch dice
1 cup edamame beans
1 cup peas
2 cups corn kernels
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.

Steps:

For the sofrito: Bring a pan of water to a boil, add tomatoes, and blanch for 15 seconds. Drain, rinse under cold water, and peel. Core, seed, and cut into 1/2-inch dice. In a skillet over medium-low heat, add the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until golden. Add saffron and sauté 2 minutes. Add tomato and sauté until all the moisture is gone. Stir in paprika and remove from heat.
For the rice: In a large heavy-bottomed pot, combine the sofrito and olive oil. Place over medium-low heat. Add rice and stir constantly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until the rice is toasted, about 1 minute. Add 3 cups of the stock and mix well. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. (At this point the rice is partially cooked and may be spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, covered with more parchment, and allowed to sit at room temperature for up to three hours before finishing.)
To finish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bring a small pan of water to a boil, add carrots, and blanch for 10 seconds. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Spread the rice evenly across the bottom of a 16 to 18 inch paella or sauté pan, and scatter the edamame, peas, corn, carrots, and olives on top. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining 1 1/2 cups stock.
Place pan in oven and bake until the rice is crisped around the edges and a "soccarat," a crust, has formed on the bottom of the pan, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and cilantro. Mix well, scraping the bottom and sides of pan, and adjust salt and pepper as desired. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 446, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 66 grams, Fat 17 grams, Fiber 5 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 829 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams