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Today I bring you my plant-based version of a classic Valencian dish: baked rice, or arroz al horno. It is a paella rice dish baked in the oven with meat alternatives, potato, tomato and chickpeas. The texture is dry like a paella, but the mouthfeel is rich in tomato and garlicky flavour. I topped mine with homemade black bean sausages but you can use any other vegan sausages.
It goes great with a simple leafy salad to make up for the lack of dietary fibre and give it a more Mediterranean flare.
BACKGROUND
As I explained in my paella post, rice dishes are very common in Valencia because it has been grown in the area for centuries. I didn’t realise how much rice Valencians ate until I moved somewhere else in Spain. Paella might be one of the most famous rice dishes, but there are plenty more. Baked rice is special because it is baked in the oven, unlike many other paella variations. It is typically made with the leftovers of the Valencian winter stew, using the stock, meat and chickpeas, and adding some potatoes and tomatoes. Valencians have been zero-waste even before it was a thing.
The first mention of baked rice in literature dates to a book from the 16th century that had two recipes in it. The baked rice recipe refers to the desirable crust that forms on top from baking. However, that implies that the original recipe might have had an egg mixture on top to form that crust, which makes it closer to the crusty rice typical from Elx (Alicante). Or it may only mean the top layer of rice crust because of the baking. It might look as if the rice wasn’t cooked, but it is. The combination of the crunchy top layer with the more cooked rice in the middle improves the experience of eating this dish.
As with everything, each family has their own recipe. Even my brother and my sister couldn’t agree on some steps! I turned to the source of all my Spanish culinary knowledge, my iaia, and asked her directly: what is the truth? She left me a few voice messages with tips, watch outs and what not to do, which I have included in my recipe below for you. Funny enough, my iaia used to cook it on the hob and in an aluminium casserole with a hole in the middle instead of baking it, so my siblings helped with the oven cooking method.
PLANT POWER, MAKE UP!
The original arroz al horno is made with rice, tomato, potato, chickpeas but also pancetta, pork ribs and blood sausage (morcilla). In order to veganise it, I only needed meat alternatives.
When I created this recipe in 2020, the vegan food market was not what it is now and I went to great lengths to replicate meat alternatives from scratch. You can see that in the photos, but since this blog is my recipe book, I have updated it to how I make these recipes now. You can check out my morcilla vegana (black bean sausage) recipe.
ARROZ AL HORNO (BAKED RICE)
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Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1h 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 ripe tomatoes
200g vegan bacon
6 vegan sausages
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into thin slices (0.5cm or 1/4 inch)
1 head of garlic, outer layers removed, tips chopped off
1 tsp. paprika
1 400g can of chickpeas (240g net weight)
400g paella rice
1/4 tsp. saffron powder
800ml vegetable stock
Olive oil spray
INSTRUCTIONS
- Slice one tomato in 4 thick slices (1cm or 1/2 inch), starting from the bottom, and set aside. Blend the other 2 tomatoes and the other tomato top and bottom and set aside.
- Fry the vegan bacon and sausages and set aside. Spray some olive oil and pan fry the potato slices, 5 minutes on each side, then the head of garlic and finally the tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside on the plate with the rest of fried ingredients.
- Spray some olive oil, and when hot, add the blended tomato, and season with salt and pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Add the paprika, chickpeas, vegan bacon and rice and stir for a minute to coat the rice with the flavours.
- Put half of the potato slices and 3 sausages at the bottom of the casserole. Add the rice mixture and distribute evenly. Place the head of garlic in the centre and the potato, tomato slices and sausages around it.
- Add the saffron to the stock and incorporate about 500ml to the dish. If you have made enough stock, you should have a bit left that you may need later. Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour at 200°C. If you feel it gets very dry, you can add a bit more of stock. Bear in mind that although the top might seem dry, if you put too much stock the rice underneath will overcook.
Serve immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Bon profit!