Spicy Paella with Octopus and Summer Vegetables, Made with "KASUMI GLOW" and "DISH2"

First, two things that set this paella apart from every other paella.

1. It is a spicy paella.

If you don't handle heat well, take care. It uses 1 teaspoon of FlareLine "KASUMI GLOW", a blend that includes habanero, so it is properly hot. But that is exactly the charm of this recipe.

That heat is caught from below by 1 teaspoon of Dish Symphony No.2. With turmeric's soft bitterness and depth in the mix, the habanero's heat doesn't sit on the tongue — it moves off toward the aroma. Hot, but a heat you can keep eating. For a family table, this two-part setup is just right.

Dish Symphony No.2 also decides the color. Turmeric's yellow passes into the rice, and it cooks up in the golden color a paella should have.

2. No separate seafood stock is made.

Because KASUMI GLOW contains shiitake and kombu. While the rice absorbs the water, that umami passes straight into the grains.

Octopus is an ingredient whose umami has a soft outline. So the shiitake-and-kombu stock is laid underneath to lift the octopus's sweetness. Highland red sansho and ajwain raise the aroma from behind, the citrus of Javanese long pepper and maqaw spreads it sideways, and the habanero's heat tightens the whole at the end. The blend is built to work in that order.

The rice is not rinsed. Rinsing washes away the surface starch, and the grains won't cook up distinct. The critical stretch is the 15 minutes after the water goes in. Keep to one rule — don't stir the pan during that time — and the rest is just waiting.

Total time: about 45 min

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• FlareLine "KASUMI GLOW" — 1 tsp (plus another shake at the end, to taste)
• Dish Symphony No.2 — 1 tsp
• Boiled octopus — 200 g
• Rice — 2 go (360 ml by volume; used unrinsed)
• Onion — 1/2
• Bell pepper (red) — 1
• Garlic — 2 cloves
• Cherry tomatoes — 8
• Edamame (in pods) — 150 g
• Water — 500 ml
• White wine — 50 ml
• Salt — 1 tsp
• Olive oil — 3 tbsp
• Lemon — 1/2 (optional)

Preparation

1. Cut the boiled octopus into rough bite-size pieces. Cut the thicker legs slightly smaller so everything heats evenly.
2. Finely chop the onion and the garlic, each separately.
3. Halve the bell pepper lengthwise, remove the stem and seeds, and cut into 1 cm strips.
4. Remove the stems from the cherry tomatoes and halve them.
5. Boil the edamame in salted water and shell the beans from the pods. If using frozen shelled edamame, thaw and pat dry. Leftover water makes the finished rice watery.
6. Measure 1 teaspoon each of "KASUMI GLOW" and Dish Symphony No.2 onto the same small plate and mix. They go in together, so combining them first spreads them evenly through the rice.
7. If serving the lemon, cut it into wedges.

Instructions

1. Put the 3 tbsp of olive oil and the garlic in a 26 cm frying pan over low heat, and heat for about 2 minutes, until fragrant.
2. Add the onion, turn the heat to medium and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent.
3. Add the 2 go of rice, unrinsed, and cook for about 2 minutes, until the grains are coated in oil and their edges turn translucent.
4. Add the combined "KASUMI GLOW: 1 tsp" and "Dish Symphony No.2: 1 tsp", plus the 1 tsp of salt, and stir to coat the rice. When the grains take on a golden color, that's the sign to move on. Passing the aroma into the oil here keeps it in the dish all the way through cooking.
5. Pour in the 500 ml of water and the 50 ml of white wine, and scatter the bell pepper and cherry tomatoes over the whole pan. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil.
6. Turn the heat to low and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. From here on, do not stir. Stirring breaks the grains and the finish turns sticky.
7. When the surface liquid has receded, arrange the octopus and edamame on top, cover, and keep on low heat for 5 minutes. Octopus toughens with long heating, so this is just to warm it through at the end.
8. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Add another shake of "KASUMI GLOW" to taste and serve with the lemon wedges. It is delicious as is, with nothing added.

If you want a crisp bottom layer

Before resting, remove the lid and put the pan over high heat for just 30 seconds. When you hear a light crackle from the bottom of the pan, turn off the heat right there. Keep going after the sound changes and it will burn.

On adjusting the heat

The habanero in KASUMI GLOW is built not as a heat that stings but as a warmth that opens the aroma. When Dish Symphony No.2's turmeric joins in, the heat doesn't sit on the tongue — it moves off toward the aroma.

Even so, if you don't handle heat well or are sharing with small children, reduce the KASUMI GLOW used in cooking to a pinch and keep the Dish Symphony No.2 at 1 teaspoon. The color and umami stay; only the heat comes down. Adults who want more can add a shake of KASUMI GLOW at the plate.

Both blends are salt-free, additive-free and 100% plant-based, so changing the amounts doesn't change the saltiness. Another shake at the end carries no risk of making the dish salty.