Vegetarian Paella with artichoke

The artichokes give complexity of texture and taste, while the peppers give colour and sweetness. A beautiful paella that can be serve this with a green salad made with a sherry vinegar dressing.

2 tsp Sweet Paprika, organic
1 pinch Saffron, organic
6 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
3 red peppers, grilled, skinned and deseeded
6-8 baby globe artichokes, cut in half
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 level tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 litre vegetable stock
A handful of seasonal mushrooms chopped or 1 tsp finely chopped dried porcini mushrooms
2 tsp tomato purée
250g paella rice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
2 tbsp roughly chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Heat the olive oil in a paella pan or large frying pan and add the onion, green pepper and half the paprika. Cook over a medium to high heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the artichokes, along with the garlic and rosemary, to the softening onion and peppers. Fry for a couple of minutes, then cover with foil or a lid and cook for a further 8-10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring every now and then. Bring the vegetable stock to the boil and add the saffron, mushrooms and tomato purée to infuse.
Over a medium heat, add the rice and remaining paprika to the vegetables in the pan. Stir the rice thoroughly for two minutes before adding the stock mixture.
Bring to the boil and at this point take the time to season the liquor adequately with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the rice appears above the stock, don't be tempted to stir it: just turn down the heat to low to prevent it sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes until 80 per cent of the stock has been absorbed into the rice. Remove from the heat. Scatter the strips of pepper evenly over the top of the paella and cover the pan tightly with foil before letting it rest for 10 minutes.

Take off the foil, sprinkle with the parsley and serve with the wedges of lemon.

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