Paella

Paella is a Valencian rice dish that originated in the mid-19th century on the coast of Spain. Here we slowly cook the rice in the concentrated clam juice of the gourmet sea clams and add saffron. Lastly the chopped sea clams, whole ocean clams and shrimp are added to finish off the paella.

Instructions

Start with a large paella pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, peppers and tomatoes. Cook on a medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the rice to the pan, turn up the heat to medium high and mix in well to coat the rice with oil. Let the rice cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the reserved clam juice(may need to add additional water) to the rice slowly. Cook on a high heat for five minutes then lower the heat. In a mortar, mash the saffron strands with some salt and the parsley, add a spoonful of water and mix well. Add the parsley mixture to the paella pan and mix well. Cook for 10 minutes and stir occasionally. Add the shrimp and clams to the dish and cook 5 more minutes. When the stock is incorporated into the rice, turn off the heat. Cover the dish with foil and allow the paella to rest for a few minutes.

Yield: 8-10 servings