Now that the cooler weather is here, there's nothing better than spending a Sunday afternoon enjoying drinks and a hearty meal in the good company of friends and family. The big game is on the HDTV and the smell of a delicious meal is in the air. So this week, the official beer of the clam would like to bring you this classic Spanish dish with a fresh New England seafood flavor. Combine some of the best clams, mussels, shrimp, squid and scallops with rice and vegetables in a stewed spicy garlic broth for a complete meal fit for the family. Maybe add a twist on your own and add some codfish or better yet, lobster. Either way this Seafood Paella is sure to please any picky crowd. So crack open an ice cold Gansett Fest and enjoy!
Ingredients
12 mussels
6 clams
1/4 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
8 ounces raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
8 ounces scallops
8 ounces squid or octopus, cleaned and cut into 1/4-inch rings
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes (with liquid)
2 cups lager beer (Gansett of course)
1 cup uncooked regular rice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon saffron or ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 (2 ounce) jar sliced pimentos, drained
Directions
Clean mussels and clams. Discard any that are not tightly closed. Heat oil in 14-inch metal paella pan or Dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Cook and stir shrimp in oil just until pink, about 2 minutes; remove with slotted spoon. Cook and stir scallops until slightly firm, 1 to 2 minutes; remove with slotted spoon. Cover and refrigerate shrimp and scallops.
Cook and stir squid until rings begin to shrink, about 2 minutes; 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, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.
Stir in shrimp, scallops, beer, rice, salt, saffron and pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
Arrange mussels, clams and peas on top of rice mixture Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees F until liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes in paella pan, 40 minutes in Dutch oven.
Discard any unopened mussels or clams. Sprinkle with pimentos. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.Be sure to have some bakery fresh Portuguese rolls on hand to soak up the remaining broth.
Yields 6 servings.
