Recipe: Paella

This recipe is from Chef Christian Flores of Roundabout Grill.

“When March comes around, all I can think of is seafood. Back home, I remember every Wednesday and Friday we could not eat red meat because of Lent. Here is my recipe for Spanish seafood paella with saffron rice.”

Ingredients

1.5 cups Spanish bomba rice (any short grain rice would work, like risotto or even basmati if you have to)

14 oz of clam stock or clam juice

16 oz water

1 lbs shrimp

.5 lbs clams

.5 lbs mussels

.5 lbs any white fish you prefer cut into 1/2 inch cubes

.5 teaspoon of Spanish saffron

1 ea tomato diced and seeded

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

.25 cup of green peas

salt and pepper

2 green onions for garnish

Start off by rinsing the rice a few times in cold water – this is a crucial step because if you don’t, all the extra starch will turn into a big clump and your rice will look like yellow mashed potatoes.

Turn your oven on to bake at 400 degrees.

Mix the clam juice water and saffron in a small sauce pot and bring to a boil. In a big saute pan, one with a lid and safe to be used in the oven, heat up the 2 tablespoons of oil add the rice and stir until it turns golden brown. Add the stock into the rice. Stir and bring back to a boil, then turn heat to low and simmer for about 10 min.

In a mixing bowl, place all seafood together with peas and tomatoes. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and season well with salt and pepper. Add all seafood on top of the rice – do not stir – cover with the lid or foil and put in oven for about 20 min or until all clams and mussels have opened.

Serve right away, and garnish with green onions.

Serves about 4 people.