Seafood Paella Recipe

How to make it

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• Bring a large stock pot with 3-4 liters of salted water to a boil.
• Add the clams and mussels, and boil for 5 minutes.
• Cut the squid into rings with a sharp knife or scissors, and add to the stock pot.
• Also add the shrimp at the same time as the squid.
• Allow to simmer for another 10 minutes, or until the mussels and clams have opened. Strain into a bowl and set aside, reserving the stock in the original pot.
• Add the saffron to the stock and stir until it changes color to a bold yellow.
• Dice peppers and onion and sautee in a paella pan (or large fry pan if you don't have one) with some olive oil. Season with salt.
• Once sauteed, bring the flame up to medium-high and ladle in the stock, spoonful by spoonful until it reaches 1/2 way up the side of the paella pan.
• Like "feeding chickens" (as a Spaniard told me once), add the rice. That is to say, little by little, handful by handful.
• The rice should be just barely covered with water.
• Add the cooked seafood, reserving 6 clams or mussels for the end (presentation).
• Bring the flame to a medium-low and watch carefully! The rice should never look dry,but never be swimming either. It is not necessary to stir. Depending on the rice you use, you might need 2 liters of stock, or more.
• Continue to watch until the rice is cooked (20 minutes) but not mushy. The best way to do this is to taste the rice in different parts of the pan (the edges and the bottom cook faster than the top, and the center).
• Once the rice is cook and has absorbed the water, place the reserved clams/mussels in a circular pattern on the top of the dish, alternating with lemon wedges.