Grilled Vegetable Paella

Chef notes

Forget everything you think you know about paella. You make it with seafood, right? No, traditional paella, as prepared in its birthplace — Spain’s Valencia province — contains just two proteins: rabbit and snails. Like many of the world’s great rice dishes (pilaf comes to mind), you cook it on the stove or in the oven. Wrong again: The authentic way to cook paella is over an open orange wood or grapevine fire. (The wood subtly smokes the rice, adding flavor nuances you simply can’t achieve indoors.) The good news is that the process translates easily to a grill or campfire. Here’s a plant-based paella bursting with bright Spanish flavors. The chickpeas provide the protein. Yes, I know, tradition calls for cooking the veggies right in the paella pan, not directly on the grill, but live fire intensifies their color and flavor.

Special Kitchen Equipment: Can be grilled over charcoal or gas, but tastes best grilled over wood or a wood-enhanced fire. If you’re enhancing a charcoal or gas fire, you’ll need hardwood chunks or chips (unsoaked). You’ll also need wooden toothpicks; a wire grill basket or vegetable grate; a 16-inch paella pan or large cast-iron skillet; and a long- handled stirring implement, like a grill hoe.