Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

Spanish Seafood Paella Recipe

• 18 mussels (cleaned and scrubbed)
• 12 clams (cleaned and scrubbed)
• 3.5 oz. smoked pancetta, trimmed and chopped
• 9 oz. fresh salmon, cubed
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 18 prawns (langostinos), peeled with tails on or off, and deveined
• 3 to 4 additional prawns for garnish
• 9 oz. baby squid, cleaned, bodies cut into 1/4-inch rings and tentacles whole
• 3.5 fl. oz. white wine
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 cups of Bomba, Carnaroli or Arborio rice
• ½ tsp. saffron powder
• 4 or 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1 bunch of parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Lemon slices for garnish

1. Place the mussels and clams, without water in a covered pot at medium heat. They’ll open and cook with the steam. Note: if a mussel or clam doesn’t open, discard it. Reserve cooked mussels on a plate.
2. Heat up a deep frying pan or paella pan (if you have one) at low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crispy, then add 1 tbsp. of olive oil. Wait till it warms up and add the peeled prawns, sautéing until they change color. Remove the pancetta and prawns from the pan and reserve. Separate 4 prawns to garnish the paella later.
3. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan, and then add the squid. Once they change color, add the wine. Once the alcohol evaporates, remove and reserve.
4. Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan, and then add the salmon. Cook until it just changes color, remove and reserve.
5. Add 3 tbsp. of olive oil to the pan, then add the garlic, letting it sauté until slightly browned. Add the rice, stirring so that it will turn a bit golden, and the grains are coated with oil. Sprinkle the saffron, then add 4 cups of broth and stir. Lightly season with salt – the paella already has lots of salt from the pancetta and the broth.
6. Add the prawns, mussels, clams and squid. Cook at medium heat while occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon to make sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
7. Cook until the rice is al dente, adding more broth if needed. Turn the heat off, cover, and let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with parsley, season with pepper and serve with lemon slices.