Creole rice with burnt peppers

Nice but I wouldn't call it a standalone meal. Throw in some chickpeas or just use as a side. To get a good, smoky flavour, I use sweet smoked paprika and burn one of the peppers over gas. If you have no inclination to burn a pepper, or you have an induction hob, just use sliced raw pepper instead. Prep 10 min Cook 45 min Serves 4

Good

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Turn the smallest flame of the hob on to low and use a pair of tongs to hold and rotate one of the peppers over the flame until it develops some charred spots. Leave to cool, rub off any large black spots with your fingers (but don’t worry about the rest of the skin), then cut into thin strips, discarding the seeds and stalk. Deseed the other two raw peppers and cut the flesh into strips, too.

Step 2

Put a large frying pan for which you have a lid on a medium heat. Add the oil and, when hot, add the onion, celery and bay leaves, and cook, stirring often, for eight minutes, until the onion is soft and turning brown at the edges. Add the peppers and garlic, cook for six to eight minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and sweet, then add the tomatoes and cook for five minutes, until they break down. Stir in the paprika, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper, then add the rice and stir again. Finally, add the stock, stir and bring to a boil. Pop on the lid, turn the heat right down to a whisper and cook for 10 minutes.

Step 3

Turn off the heat and leave the rice to stand (without lifting the lid) for 10 minutes more, then serve immediately (although this rice also makes for delicious leftovers).