How To Make Vegan Artichoke Paella

Artichoke paella 
Feeds 6-8 
- 4 whole globe artichokes 
- 2 lemons 
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- Olive oil  
- 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 large red pepper, sliced into strips
- 2 tsp smoked paprika 
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 
- 1 large heritage tomato, grated
- 2 tbsp tomato paste 
- Handful green beans, chopped 
- Pinch saffron
- 2 litre vegetable stock
- Sea salt and black pepper
- 500g bomba rice (or risotto rice) 
- 400g tin butter beans 

Method
1. Begin by steaming the artichokes. To prepare the whole artichokes, slice the stem with a knife, and snip the ends of the petals off with scissors to remove any thorns. Add a few inches of water to a pan with one crushed garlic clove, one bay leaf, and a few slices of lemon (this will infuse the artichoke while it’s cooking). Place a steaming basket or metal colander over the large pot of water. Add the prepared artichokes and cover. Bring to a boil and steam until the artichoke petals can be removed by gently pulling – this will take 20-30 minutes. Leave to cool slightly and cut each artichoke in half lengthways. 

2. In a paella pan (or large frying pan) fry the onion and garlic in a little olive oil for a few minutes. Add paprika, chili flakes for a minute followed by red pepper, grated tomato, green beans, 1.5 litre stock, 1/4 lemon juice, bay leaves and saffron. Bring to boil and simmer for 15 mins. Season to taste. Stir in butter beans. 

3. Pour the rice in a cross shape (see video) to the top of the stock. Stir to combine and then do not stir again during cooking. Add artichokes and cook for 15-20 mins, or until rice is cooked alpunto, meaning ‘to the point’. Like Italy’s ‘al dente', this Spanish term is used to describe rice that’s slightly firm – to the tooth – but cooked. Add more stock if necessary.  I usually use 2 litre stock for 500g rice. 

4. The key to a perfect paella is the socarrat – that crispy, caramelised rice crust at the bottom of the pan. There are two ways to achieve this. First, when the rice is almost finished cooking, take the pan with the paella off of the heat and let the rice absorb the remaining water. This will let the rest of the rice continue to cook while the heat from the bottom of the pan creates a crust. The second way to obtain the crust is to use a very high flame to cook the bottom of the rice. You must carefully watch the paella cook though because it can easily burn. 

5. After the bottom is crispy, the paella should then rest for five minutes covered with newspaper to set. No matter which method you use, you don’t want to stir the rice, you want to make sure there is one layer at the bottom that just stays there to cook. If you really want to get it right, purchase an authentic paella pan for the ultimate crust. 

Serve with wedges of lemon. 

To eat the artichokes, pull off outer petals one at a time – these aren’t edible but the base of each petal holds a scrumptious piece of soft, pulpy artichoke “meat.” Pull through teeth to eat the “meat” . Discard the remaining petal. Continue until all petals have been removed and you have reached the heart. Remove the fuzzy choke with a spoon and what remains is the glorious artichoke heart to devour.

Vegetable stock

- 1 tbsp olive oil 
- 1 onion 
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery sticks 
- 2 leeks 
- 1 tbsp Kombu
- 5 tbsp tomato paste 
- 3 litres water 
- Handful parsley 
- Handful fresh thyme 
- Handful fresh rosemary
- 4 bay leaves 
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp Miso 
- Sea salt, to taste 

Method

1. Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add oil, onion, garlic, carrots, celery and leeks. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until softened and slightly browned.

2. Stir in kombu and tomato paste followed by water. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer.

3. Stir in herbs and peppercorns and cook loosely covered for an hour. Add the miso at the end for an umami hit. Check seasoning.  

4. Let cool slightly before pouring over a strainer into another pot. Then divide between storage vessels. Let cool completely before sealing. Store in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month (sometimes longer). 

Whisked Away is a series by food writer and enthusiast Georgia Bateman. Unable to travel like she used to, Georgia is dreaming of places and food from around the world. Her recipes are inspired by these destinations but not intended to be true representations of local dishes.