Mixed Seafood Paella With Sausage And Pink Beans

PERFECT PAELLA

Steps:

• In a very wide pan or paella pan, preheated over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, crushed garlic, red pepper flakes, add rice and saute 2 or 3 minutes. Add saffron threads, bay leaf, broth, and thyme and bring liquids to a boil over high heat. Cover the pan with lid or foil and reduce heat to simmer.
• In a separate nonstick skillet, over medium high heat brown chicken on both sides in 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add peppers and onions to the pan and cook 3 minutes longer. Add chorizo to the pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat.
• After about 13 minutes, add shellfish to the rice pan, nesting them in cooking rice. Pour in peas, scatter lemon zest over the rice and seafood, then cover the pan again. After 5 minutes, remove cover or foil from the paella and discard any unopened mussel shells. Stir rice and seafood mixture and lift out bay and thyme stems, now bare of their leaves. Arrange cooked chicken and peppers, onions and chorizo around the pan. Top with parsley and scallions. Serve with wedges of lemon and warm bread.

MIXED SEAFOOD PAELLA WITH GARLIC AIOLI

Steps:

• Place the shrimp, fish and squid in a colander, sprinkle with coarse salt and let sit while preparing the remaining ingredients. Combine the stock, saffron, and wine in a saucepan, and bring to a boil while cooking fish. Heat the olive oil in a wide paella pan set over two burners. Add the shrimp, fish, and squid, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the shrimp and fish, leaving the squid in the pan. Add the peppers to the pan, and saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another minute to release the aromas. Stir in the paprika and tomatoes, and saute 1 minute to release the aromas. Add the rice, toss to coat it with the tomato mixture, and stir in the parsley and bay leaves. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Add the hot broth to the pan, along with the peas. Boil for 5 to 10 minutes, or until some of the liquid reduces. (Paella should have just enough liquid to cook rice, but not be soupy). Adjust seasonings. Stir in the reserved shrimp and fish, and arrange the mussels over the paella with the edges that will open facing up. Transfer paella pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until rice is almost cooked and most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove paella from oven, cover loosely, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with the Garlic Aioli.
• Mash the garlic with the salt, and combine with the egg yolks, vinegar, and lemon juice in a bowl. Blend with a whisk. Gradually add oil, a drop at a time, whisking constantly. As mixture begins to thicken and look like mayonnaise, add oil more generously. Adjust seasonings and store in refrigerator until ready to use.

SEAFOOD AND SAUSAGE PAELLA

Steps:

• Peel and devein the shrimp, reserving the shells.
• Bundle the sprigs of parsley, bay leaf, sprigs of thyme, leek, and cloves into a Bouquet Garni. You may use a string to tie them together.
• In a 3-4 quart pot, combine the quartered onion, 2 garlic cloves, sliced carrot, Bouquet Garni, and broth or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, or until fragrant.
• Strain, discard the solids, season with salt, and set aside.
• Scrub the littleneck clams and place in a medium pot with white wine, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tbsp chopped onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 5-6 minutes, until the clams have opened.
• Remove from heat, allow to cool enough to handle, and remove clams from shells. Set aside.
• Strain the broth through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and combine with enough of the shrimp broth to measure 7 cups. Season the broth with salt.
• Transfer the broth to a saucepan and stir in the saffron threads, set aside.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and chorizo. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned and blistered on all sides and cooked through. This should take about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cut into 1/2" slices. Set aside.
• Season the fish with salt.
• Set a 12" or larger paella pan, braising pan, or 15" nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add and heat 2 tbsps olive oil.
• Add the fish and sear until the surface is opaque, about 1 minute each side. Set aside on a platter. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring, just until they turn pink, about 1 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
• Add olive oil and onion to the pan.
• Cook, stirring occasionally until the onion begins to color. Meanwhile, bring the reserved broth to a simmer.
• Add 8 cloves garlic and bell pepper to the onion. Cook, stirring for 30-60 seconds ensuring the garlic does not burn.
• Add tomatoes, paprika and salt, stir and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes).
• Stir in the chorizo to the onion pan, then stir in the rice until it is coated with oil.
• Add the bay leaf, peas, and green beans.
• Add the broth and mussels. Be sure to push the mussels down into the broth.
• Arrange the clams, shrimp, and fish over the top without pushing into the broth. Cook uncovered, at a moderate bubble, without stirring or poking for 20-24 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed.
• Remove from heat, cover with foil and let sit undisturbed for 10-15 minutes.