Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach

Meat mains

Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach

Name: Tomato and chorizo rice with green olives and spinach
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2

Main Serves 2 35 min

This dish is like a beginner's paella, no need for a specialist pan or rice. If rinsed well the rice won't cloud the dish with starch and make it risotto-like. Be cautious with your seasoning in the early stages as the stock, chorizo and olives will all bring a saltiness with them.

Cook's notes

Blanching, cooling and squeezing the spinach may seem like a faff but it locks the bright green colour into the leaves and stops too much extra liquid from water-logging the dish in the final stages. Spinach will often bleed its colour too, which can make certain dishes appear a bit murky.

Ingredients

1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
olive oil
1 vegetable stock cube
200g brown basmati rice
200g cooking chorizo
80g green olives
75ml white wine
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tin chopped tomatoes
200g spinach
1 lemon
salt and pepper

Method

Prep time: 5 min

Cooking time: 30 min

Step 1
Put a kettle on to boil. Peel and finely slice the red onion. Peel and finely chop or crush 2 garlic cloves. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the onions on a medium heat for 5 minutes, until starting to soften.
Step 2
While the onions cook, measure out 350ml of hot water from the kettle and whisk in the stock cube until dissolved. Rinse the rice under cold running water in a sieve. Remove the skins from the chorizo and break each sausage into 10-12 pieces. Add the garlic and chorizo to the onions and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, slice the olives into half's. Tip in the thyme, wine and rice, cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chopped tomatoes, olives and stock. Bring to a simmer, season with a little salt and pepper and cook gently for 20 minutes, until the rice is plump and tender.
Step 4
While the rice cooks, put a pan of salted water on to boil. Wash the spinach and blanch it in the pan of boiling water for about 30 seconds, until it wilts.
Step 5
Drain and cool immediately in cold water. When the spinach is cold, drain and squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands. Roughly chop the squeezed spinach.
Step 6
When the rice has cooked, stir in the chopped spinach to warm through. Adjust the seasoning to your liking and serve in bowls with lemon wedges for squeezing.