Rice with Chard

The most modest of the Valencian rice dishes, once considered one of the most popular. It is made all year round, but especially during spring and summer. Although apparently simple to make, its difficult cooking process requires one ingredient if it is to achieve a minimum quality that is becoming increasingly scarce: patience. It is only by very slow cooking over a low heat that the light components used are transferred to the rice and give it substance. That is why this rice is cooked in the privacy of homes and is absent from restaurant menus, where it is usually only made to order.

Boil the beans (soaked the night before) in a pan. Fry the garlic cloves and tomato in a pan with oil. Add the paprika before adding the mixture to the bean broth. Add the snails and the well washed chard. Let cook. Then add the potato chopped into small pieces and the saffron. Add salt to taste. When it has finished cooking, add the rice and cook for 18 minutes until mellow. Serve immediately.