Ingredients
- Broth:
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup dry white wine $
- 1 teaspoon saffron threads
- 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
- Herb Blend:
- 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice $
- 1 tablespoon olive oil $
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced $
- Paella:
- 1 pound monkfish or other firm white fish fillets
- 16 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil $
- 2 cups finely chopped onion $
- 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained $
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, minced $
- 3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 16 littleneck clams
- 1 (7-ounce) jar sliced pimento, drained
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice $
Preparation
- To prepare broth, combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
- To prepare herb blend, combine parsley and next 4 ingredients (parsley through 2 garlic cloves); set aside.
- To prepare paella, trim connective tissue from monkfish; cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and shrimp; saute 1 minute (the seafood mixture will not be cooked through).
- Remove seafood mixture from pan, and keep warm. Add onion and bell pepper to pan, and saute 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, crushed red pepper, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, and peas. Bring to a low boil, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add clams to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the seafood mixture, and arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture. Arrange pimento slices spokelike on top of rice mixture; cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes.
