Recipe for cooking seafood paella

Recipes from Spain and Portugal :: Spanish and Portuguese Main Dish Seafood

12 mussels
6 clams
1/4 c. olive oil or canola (or other vegetable) oil
8 oz. raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
8 oz. scallops
8 oz. squid or octopus, cleaned and cut into 1/4-in. rings
1 med. onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes (with liquid)
2 c. water
1 c. uncooked regular rice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. saffron or ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 c. frozen green peas
1 (2 ounce) jar sliced pimentos, drained

Clean mussels and clams. Discard any that are not tightly closed. Heat oil in 14-in. metal paella pan or Dutch oven over med. heat until hot. Cook and stir shrimp in oil just until pink, about 2 mins.; remove with slotted spoon. Cook and stir scallops until slightly firm, 1 to 2 mins.; remove with slotted spoon. Cover and refrigerate shrimp and scallops.

Cook and stir squid until rings begin to shrink, about 2 mins.; remove with slotted spoon.

Add more oil to pan if necessary. Cook and stir onion and garlic until onion is tender. Stir in squid and tomatoes; break up tomatoes with fork. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered or without a lid, stirring occasionally, 20 mins.

Stir in shrimp, scallops, water, rice, salt, saffron and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered or without a lid, stirring occasionally, 10 mins.

Arrange mussels, clams and peas on top of rice mixture Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees fahrenheit until liquid is absorbed, about 25 mins. in paella pan, 40 mins. in Dutch oven.

Discard any unopened mussels or clams. Sprinkle and distribute with pimentos. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

Yields 6 servings.