Roast fennel and aubergine paella
This vegan paella swaps seafood for vegetables that caramelize into sweetness, creating unexpected richness on the palate. The fennel's anise notes deepen when roasted, while saffron threads do their quiet work, infusing the rice with color and a subtle earthiness that feels as essential as the technique itself. Spanish cooks know that paella's soul lives in the socarrat, that crackling layer at the pan's bottom, where vegetables and rice meet heat and develop char.
Instructions
1 Put the fennel, aubergine, pepper and courgette in a roasting tray.
Add a glug of olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toss around to coat the veggies in the oil.
Roast in the oven for 20 minutes, turning a couple of times until the veg are pretty much cooked through and turning golden. 2 Meanwhile, heat a paella pan or large frying pan over a low– medium heat and add a glug of olive oil.
Sauté the onion for 8–10 minutes until softened.
Increase the heat to medium and stir in the rice, paprika and saffron.
Cook for around 1 minute to start toasting the rice, then add the white wine.
Reduce by about half before stirring in two-thirds of the stock.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes without a lid, stirring a couple of times. 3 Stir in the peas, add some seasoning, then gently mix in the roasted veg.
Pour over the remaining stock, arrange the lemon wedges on top and cover with a lid or some aluminium foil.
Cook for a further 10 minutes. 4 To ensure you get the classic layer of toasted rice at the bottom of the pan, increase the heat to high until you hear a slight crackle.
Remove from the heat and sit for 5 minutes before sprinkling over the parsley and serving..
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