Pilchard and Tomato Rice

• 2 x 425gtins pilchards in tomato sauce
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1onion, finely chopped
• 3garlic cloves, crushed
• 11/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsptomato puree
• 300gbasmati rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
• 600mlhot vegetable or chicken stock
• 200gfrozen peas
• 1lemon, zest and juice
• 15gparsley, chopped
• fine salt
• black pepper

Method

1. 1Open the tins and lift the pilchards out onto a plate, keeping every bit of the tomato sauce. Split each fish along its belly and pull out the backbone if you prefer, though the bones are soft enough to eat. Break the fish into large chunks.
2. 2Heat the olive oil in a lidded pan over a medium heat and cook the onion with a pinch of salt for 5 minutes until soft and just starting to colour. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika and tomato puree for 1 minute until the paprika smells sweet and the puree darkens.
3. 3Add the rice and stir for 1 minute until the grains are coated and glossy. Pour in the reserved tomato sauce and the stock, add half a teaspoon of salt and plenty of pepper, and bring to the boil.
4. 4Cover, turn the heat to its lowest and cook for 10 minutes until the rice has drunk almost all the liquid and is just tender. Do not stir it; the rice steams from the bottom up and stirring makes it gluey.
5. 5Scatter the frozen peas over the rice, then lay the pilchard chunks on top. Cover again and cook for 3 minutes until the peas are hot and the fish is warmed through. Take the pan off the heat.
6. 6Fork the lemon zest and most of the parsley through the rice gently, lifting from the bottom so the fish stays in pieces. Add lemon juice a squeeze at a time until it tastes bright against the smoky tomato. Serve with the rest of the parsley on top.

Per serving

kcal

787

protein

49.7g

fibre

6.1g

carbs

77.6g

fat

30.9g