Olleta Alicantina

Olleta Alicantina (Alicante-style Rice with Pork and Chickpeas)

A hearty, traditional one-pot rice dish from the Vega Baja region of Alicante, combining pork belly, chickpeas, garlic, and olive oil into a deeply savory, rustic meal.

Prep

20 min

Cook

75 min

Total

95 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in water with 1 tsp baking soda
• •150 g (5 oz) pork belly, skin on, cut into 3 cm dice
• •150 g (5 oz) pork ribs, cut into single-bone pieces
• •4 g (4 cloves) garlic, thinly sliced
• •1 head garlic, roasted, for finishing
• •120 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, preferably Valencian or Spanish EVOO
• •1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika (pimentón dulce), or null
• •1 pinch saffron threads, optional, but traditional
• •1 medium tomato, grated, skin discarded
• •300 g (1½ cups) short-grain rice, Spanish Calasparra or bomba rice
• •700 ml (3 cups) chicken or pork broth, warm, plus extra as needed
• •1 tsp fine sea salt, adjust to taste
• •2 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried, or null

Steps

1. 1 Drain the soaked chickpeas, rinse thoroughly under cold water, and set aside.
2. 2 In a wide, heavy-bottomed earthenware or cast-iron pan (cazuela), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork belly and ribs and brown slowly for 8–10 minutes until the fat renders and the pieces are golden.
3. 3 Add the sliced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Stir in the grated tomato, paprika, and saffron; cook for 3–4 minutes until the tomato darkens and the oil turns red.
4. 4 Add the chickpeas and the warm broth. Season lightly with salt, add the thyme, and simmer gently for 30–35 minutes, or until the chickpeas are tender but still hold their shape. Skim any foam that rises.
5. 5 Stir in the rice, distribute it evenly across the pan, and adjust the heat so the liquid simmers steadily. Cook uncovered for 15–18 minutes, without stirring, until the rice absorbs the liquid and is just cooked through. If the rice dries out before being done, ladle in a little extra warm broth (50–100 ml at a time).
6. 6 Meanwhile, roast the whole head of garlic in a small dry skillet over low heat or in a 180°C / 350°F oven for 25 minutes until soft and sweet.
7. 7 Once the rice is cooked, remove the pan from the heat, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and scatter them over the rice along with a final drizzle of raw olive oil.
8. 8 Serve hot directly from the cazuela. Doneness cues: rice grains should be tender with no chalky core; pork should reach an internal temperature of 75°C / 167°F at the bone; chickpeas should crush easily between thumb and finger.