Another great one-pot dish by Diana Henry – one our absolute favourite food writers (we might have said that already). Don’t be tempted to stir the rice, it’s not a risotto.
Wine Suggestion: this dish goes with juicy Spanish reds with a good option being the Finca Antigua Syrah from La Mancha. While not a traditional grape variety for Spain, Syrah is increasingly seen and seems to take on a local twist which we find works really well; creamy with warm spices.
Spanish rice with pork and spinach – serves 6
- 350g pork fillet, halved lengthways and sliced
- 7 tbsp olive oil
- 100 chorizo, skin removed and cut into chunks
- 300g bacon, cut into meaty chunks (you might have to order a piece of bacon from your butcher)
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 2 red peppers, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 300g paella rice
- 1.2 litres hot chicken stock
- 650g spinach
- 1 lemon
Season the pork. Heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil in a large frying pan and quickly brown the pork until cooked through, then set aside.
Reduce the heat and add another 3 tbsp of the oil and the chorizo and bacon. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the onions and peppers and cook over a medium-low heat for 20 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, paprika and chilli and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the rice. Stir the rice into the juices (this is the only time you will stir it), then add the stock and season. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes or until there is only a little liquid left and the rice almost tender.
Meanwhile, wilt the spinach in the last tbsp of oil and season. Scatter the spinach over the rice and tuck in the pork pieces. Check for seasoning, then reduce the heat to its lowest, cover and leave for 5 minutes. Squeeze lemon juice over the top and serve.
Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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