Blinky the Shark > wrote in message
news [snip]
> I'm the King of Spain, by the way.

Ferdinand the Frail or Charles the Chaste or Alfonso the
Oblivious or Philip the Foul? I couldn't find Blinky the
Blameful.

ObFood:
Seafood Paella



INGREDIENTS:

½ lb. shrimp, peeled, 16/20 ct.; reserve shells for broth

1/8 tsp. saffron

¼ cup EVOO

¼ lb. scallops 20/30 ct.

1 medium onion, chopped fine

8 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tomato, peeled and chopped fine

1½ cups rice, Basmati

½ lb. mussels

½ clams (1/2 lb.), scrubbed

1 lemon, wedged as garnish

Kosher Salt, to taste





METHOD:

In a medium saucepan, boil 3 cups of water, salted. When water
comes to a roiling boil, add all the shrimp shells; reduce heat
to simmer and cover for about 10 min. Strain the broth,
discarding shells, and set aside. Crush saffron threads and add
to broth. In a large skillet (or, should you have one, a
14-inch paella pan), heat oil to high; watch for light wisps of
smoke to lift from oil. Pat shrimp and scallops dry to reduce
oil-spatter. Sauté shrimp and scallops, about 2 min.; transfer
to a plate and set aside. Remove most of oil from the pan;
leave approx 1 Tbs. Turn the heat to medium and sauté the onion
and garlic until translucent; about 5 min. Add in the tomato
and season with salt. Sauté mixture until it has darkened and
is a thick purée; approximately 10 min. Add shell broth
tomato-onion sofrito to simmer; when lightly bubbling, add rice
to the pan. Finish sautéing mixture until the rice gains some
color, about 1 min. Increase heat to medium-high and pour in 2½
cups of broth (retain approx ½ cup for later use). Shake the
pan to evenly distribute the rice in the pan. As the liquid
comes to a boil, arrange the mussels and clams in the pan,
submerging them as much as possible below the level of the
liquid. From this point on, do not stir the rice. Cook the
paella on medium-high, rotating and moving the pan over one or
two burners to distribute the heat. When the rice begins to
appear above the liquid, after 8 to 10 min., reduce the heat to
medium low. Continue to simmer until the liquid has been
absorbed; approximately 10 min. When finished, sprinkle a bit
of hot broth onto the pan. Add shrimp and scallops to dish.
Serve with Spanish red (I much prefer Almira's Los Dos Old
Vine; very fruity but not sweet!). Feeds five handsomely.



The Ranger