I have no idea why it is called Catalan rice because in Catalonia, east of Spain, it is not a traditional dish as far as I know. Indeed this is a french recipe.
It is made with chorizo, that is a pork sausage with sweet or hot paprika from where it takes the red color.
INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- A cup of rice (200 ml)
- 200 grams (7 oz) of sweet chorizo
- 200 grams (7 oz) of spicy chorizo
- 4 ripe red tomatoes
- 1 large purple onion (sweet)
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 and a half cups of chicken broth (500 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of chopped bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon minced thyme
- Salt
- Pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
We peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and chop them. We add them to a casserole with a generous jet of olive oil, the minced garlic without germ, the parsley and the thyme. Cover and let the sauce cook for about twenty minutes (or until the tomato loses its water). Then we grind the sauce until it is very fine.
Menawhile we chop the onion and the red pepper. We incorporate them into a casserole with a splash of olive oil. We poach well and when the pepper begins to soften we add the spicy and sweet chorizo cut into slices. We let it be done, without stopping to stir, for 5 minutes.
At that moment we add the tomato puree and the rice. Sauté the rice for about five minutes, add salt and pepper and then add the broth previously heated in the microwave. Let it cook uncovered over a very high heat for five minutes and then another twenty at medium low fire.
It is served hot, without any broth. It is something strong but very tasty.
