Roast fennel and aubergine paella

Method8 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Heat the oven to 200 °C /180 °C fan. Wash the vegetables, halve the small baby aubergines lengthways, trim and cut the small fennel bulbs (4 small) into thin wedges, deseed and thinly slice the red pepper (1), and trim/slice the courgette (1 medium) into rounds. Spread all four prepared vegetables in a roasting tray, add the separate roasting glug of olive oil to lightly coat them, and toss with the roasting salt (1 pinch) and black pepper (1 pinch).

   Uses 6 small baby aubergines, halved lengthways · 4 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into thin wedges · 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced · 1 medium courgette, sliced into rounds · 1 pinch salt for roasting vegetables · 1 pinch ground black pepper for roasting vegetables · 1 glug olive oil, enough to lightly coat roasting vegetables

2. 2

   Step 2: Roast the vegetables for about twenty minutes, turning a couple of times, until almost tender throughout and turning golden; continue as needed for their size. Hold the roasted vegetables ready for the rice.

   Roast vegetables until almost tender and golden · 20 minUses All prepared roasting vegetables

3. 3

   Step 3: Meanwhile peel and finely chop the onion (1). Heat a paella pan or large frying pan over low to medium heat with the separate onion-saute glug of olive oil. Saute all the chopped onion for eight to ten minutes until softened.

   Soften chopped onion in separate paella oil · 10 minUses 1 onion, finely chopped · 1 separate glug olive oil for paella-pan onion saute

4. 4

   Step 4: Increase the heat to medium. Stir all the dry paella rice (300 g), paprika (1 tsp) and saffron (1 pinch) into the softened-onion pan and cook for about one minute to begin toasting the rice. Then pour in all two hundred millilitres white wine.

   Toast rice, paprika and saffron before adding wine · 1 minUses All softened onion and its pan oil · 300 g dry paella rice · 1 tsp paprika · 1 pinch saffron · 200 ml white wine

5. 5

   Step 5: Let the wine in the rice pan reduce by about half. Stir in only the first two-thirds of the measured seven hundred millilitres prepared vegetable stock, keeping the remaining third for later. Reduce to a simmer and cook uncovered for ten minutes, stirring a couple of times.

   First uncovered rice simmer with two-thirds stock · 10 minUses All rice-wine mixture · First two-thirds of the 700 ml prepared stock; hold the remaining third

6. 6

   Step 6: Stir all the frozen peas (100 g) into the partly cooked rice and season with some of the separate rice salt and black pepper to taste. Gently mix in all the roasted vegetables. Pour over only the reserved final third of the measured stock. Wash and cut the lemon (1) into wedges, arrange all of them on top, then cover the pan with a lid or foil.

   Uses All partly cooked rice · All roasted vegetables · 100 g frozen peas · Only the remaining one-third of the measured 700 ml stock · 1 lemon, cut into wedges · Salt for rice seasoning, to taste · Ground black pepper for rice seasoning, to taste

7. 7

   Step 7: Cook the covered paella at a gentle simmer for another ten minutes until the rice is tender, the peas are cooked and the vegetables are tender throughout; continue gently as needed before browning the base.

   Second covered paella simmer until rice is tender · 10 minUses The entire covered paella

8. 8

   Step 8: When the rice is cooked, increase the heat briefly until you hear a slight crackle at the pan base; watch closely and stop before it burns. Remove the paella from the heat and let it stand for five minutes. Wash and chop the parsley, sprinkle it over the rested paella and serve with its lemon wedges.

   Off-heat paella rest after brief base crisping · 5 minUses All cooked paella · 1 handful fresh parsley, chopped