Seafood Paella

Delicious paella taken from "The Essential Rice Cookbook" published by Borders. You can add whatever seafood you like. We have tried it with scallops. Note: stirring the rice after you have added the liquid results in greater starch release and thus stickier rice. Do not stir! You may end up with a bit of burned crust on the bottom of the pan, but "in some parts of Spain the crust on the bottom of the paella is regarded as the highlight of the meal."

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 6-8

Ingredients

• 2  tomatoes
• 1  lb raw shrimp
• 1⁄2 lb  white fish fillet
• 1⁄2 lb  black mussels
• 1⁄2 lb squid ring
• 3  tablespoons olive oil
• 1  onion, diced
• 3  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  red bell pepper, sliced
• 1  small red chili pepper, chopped
• 2  teaspoons paprika
• 1  teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1  teaspoon tomato paste
• 2  cups medium grain rice
• 1⁄2 cup white wine
• 1⁄4 teaspoon saffron thread, soaked in 1/4 cup hot water
• 5  cups  fish stock
• 3  tablespoons  chopped flat leaf parsley
•  lemon wedge

Directions

1. Cut a cross in the base of the tomatoes. Submerge in boiling water for 30 seconds, then submerge in cold water for 30 seconds. Peel skin off by hand. Chop flesh and reserve.
2. Peel shrimp and remove dark vein. Cut fish into 1 cm cubes. Scrub mussels to remove dirt and pull out beards (if the mussels you bought were not already de-bearded). Throw out any broken mussels or any mussels that are open and do not shut when tapped on the counter. Rinse mussels. Reserve all seafood in the fridge.
3. Heat oil in a large, deep, covered pan (stove-safe dutch oven works great). Add onion, garlic, and peppers. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add paprika, turmeric, and 1 tsp salt and cook 2 more minutes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and rice, and stir to coat. Stir-fry rice for 2 minutes.
5. Add wine and simmer until almost absorbed. Add saffron and its liquid. Add fish stock. Increase heat to high and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is almost cooked. The inside of the rice should still be a bit crunchy.
6. Add mussels, poking them under the rice. Cover and simmer 3 minutes. Add shrimp on top of rice, cover and cook 3 minutes. Add fish on top of rice, cover and cook 3 minutes. Add squid on top of rice, cover and cook 2 minutes.
7. If seafood is fully cooked, serve immediately. Shrimp should be pink, fish should be opaque and flake easily, squid should be white and tender. Cover and continue simmering if seafood is not cooked, but take care not to overcook.
8. Discard and mussels that have not opened!
9. Garnish with parsley and lemon wedges.