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Rice and Beans, Spanish-Style

Rice and Beans, Spanish-Style

Ingredients

  • 1 red bell pepper

  • Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

  • 12 ounces Spanish chorizo, diced into bite-size pieces

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1/2 cup broken spaghetti

  • 1 cup long grain rice

  • A healthy pinch of saffron (about 24 threads)

  • 4 cups chicken stock (32 ounces), divided

  • Kosher salt

  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced

  • 1-2 red Fresno chili peppers, sliced

  • 1 large onion, chopped

  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste

  • 1/4 cup dry sherry or 1/2 cup white wine

  • 1 can white beans or chickpeas (15 ounces), drained

  • 1 small bunch black kale or Tuscan kale, stripped and chopped, or shredded

  • Freshly grated nutmeg

Directions

Place the red pepper over a gas flame on the stovetop to char it or blacken it under the broiler. Then place in a bowl and cover. Once cool, peel, seed and chop. Heat a drizzle of EVOO in a Dutch oven or deep skillet. Add the chorizo and render for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of EVOO and the butter in a saucepot over medium heat. Add the pasta to the pot and toast to golden. Add the rice and saffron and about 2 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the pot and cook the rice to tender, 17-18 minutes. Add the garlic, chili pepper(s) and onion to the chorizo and cook to tender, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and deglaze the pan with the sherry. Next, add the beans, roasted pepper, kale, 1 cup of the chicken stock and a few grates of nutmeg. Cover to wilt the greens. Serve the rice in shallow bowls and top with the sausage and beans. Cook's Note: Use the remaining 1/2 cup stock if the rice cooks too quickly or the chorizo and beans get too dry.