Seasonal hunter's rice (arros de matanca)

This paella-style rice dish comes with everything: pork, ribs, sausages, black pudding and plenty of veggies and rice.

Credit: Rochelle Eagle

• serves

  4

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  1:20 hour

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 100 g (3½ oz) pork spare ribs, cut into 1.5 cm (½ in) dice
• 200 g (7 oz) pork fillet, cut into 2–3 cm (¾–1¼ in) chunks
• 1 pork and fennel sausage, sliced into 1 cm (½ in) rounds
• 1 fresh chorizo sausage, sliced into 1 cm (½ in) rounds
• 150 g (5½ oz) morcilla (Spanish black pudding), sliced into 1 cm (½ in) rounds
• 1 red capsicum (bell pepper), finely diced
• 1 green capsicum (bell pepper), finely diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 chicken liver, finely diced
• 1 tsp sweet pimentòn
• 1 tsp smoked pimentòn
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) dry white wine
• 2 large tomatoes, grated, skins discarded
• 200 g (7 oz) short-grain rice, such as bomba or calasparra
• 1.5 litres (51 fl oz/6 cups) chicken stock, heated to a simmer
• pinch of saffron
• 150 g (5½ oz) swiss brown or portobello mushrooms, cut into 2-cm (¾-in) chunks
• 150 g (5½ oz) pine or field mushrooms, cut into 2 cm (¾ in) chunks
• 200 g (7 oz) tinned butter beans, rinsed and drained
• lemon wedges, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat half the oil in a 32–34 cm (12¾–13½ in) paella pan or frying pan over medium heat. Working in batches, cook the pork ribs and fillet, sausage, chorizo and morcilla for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and set aside on a large plate.
2. Wipe out the paella pan with paper towel to remove any stuck-on bits and add the remaining oil, along with the red and green capsicum. Gently sauté over medium–low heat for 8–10 minutes, until soft and the colour has leached out of the capsicum into the oil. Using a slotted spoon, remove the capsicum from the pan and set aside on a small plate.
3. Add the onion, garlic and liver to the capsicum oil and cook for 12–15 minutes, until very soft and beginning to disintegrate. Stir in the pimentòns and cinnamon stick, then pour in the white wine and cook for 6–8 minutes, until completely evaporated. Add the grated tomato and cook for a further 15 minutes or until you have a rich, deep-coloured paste.
4. Add the rice and stir through to coat the grains. Return the reserved meat to the pan and stir through the cooked capsicum, three-quarters of the stock and the saffron. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer for 10 minutes. If you’re unable to achieve an even heat, rotate the pan around the burners on the stovetop so that each side of the pan cooks evenly. Pour in the remaining stock, add the mushrooms and butterbeans, then gently shake the pan from side to side. Check the bottom with a spoon if you fear it may be catching and reduce the heat, if possible. Continue to simmer over low heat for a further 8-10 minutes, until the rice is cooked through.
5. Remove from the heat and serve immediately in bowls with lemon wedges on the side.

 

Recipes and images from Islas: Food of the Spanish Islands by Emma Warren, Smith Street Books, RRP $49.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.