Seafood Paella

I made this for a dinner party. It was enjoyed by all despite the fact that some of the seafood was under cooked. I have increased the cooking time by 5 minutes accordingly.
You may substitute small chunks of firm white fish for any of the seafood items which are unavailable.

Yield:
Serves 4
Category:
Casseroles and One Pots
Cuisine:
Spanish

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 shallots, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 pinches saffron threads
  • 2 cups arborio or long grain white rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups chicken broth, warmed
  • 2 large tomatoes, diced
  • 8 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
  • 8 manila clamx
  • 4-8 jumbo prawns
  • 4 sea-scallops
  • 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 more tablespoon Olive oil
  • 1 lemon, halved

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme sprigs and bay leaves and saute for about 1 minute or until the shallots are tender and translucent.
  2. Sprinkle the saffron over the shallot mixture and saute for another minute. Add the rice and stir for two minutes until the rice is coated with oil. Stir in the wine and salt, and then the warm chicken stock. Stir the rice to distribute it evenly in the pan. Bring to a simmer over high heat and then remove the pan from the head. Sprinkle the tomatoes over the rice mixture. Transfer the pan to oven and bake the paella, uncovered for 20 minutes.
  3. Nestle the mussels, clams, shrimp and scallops into the paella and continue cooking for another 20 minutes, until the seafood is just cooked. Discard any unopened mussels or clams as well as the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
  4. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley

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