Seafood Paella

Ingredients

• •2 cups Bomba or other short-grain Spanish rice
• •1/4 cup olive oil
• •1 onion, diced
• •1 red bell pepper, diced
• •3 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 cup canned diced tomato)
• •1 tsp smoked paprika
• •1/2 tsp saffron threads
• •4 cups seafood or chicken broth, warmed
• •1 lb shrimp, peeled
• •1 lb mussels, cleaned
• •Salt to taste

Steps

1. 1.Steep the saffron in a splash of the warm broth and set aside.
2. 2.Heat the olive oil in a paella pan and sauté the onion and red bell pepper until softened, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and smoked paprika, cooking down until deepened in color and thickened - this sofrito is the base flavor of the whole dish.
3. 3.Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes to coat every grain in the sofrito, then pour in the broth and saffron; do not stir again from this point on.
4. 4.Simmer undisturbed for 12-15 minutes, nestling the shrimp and mussels into the rice for the last 8-10 minutes until the seafood is cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.
5. 5.Raise the heat to medium-high for the final 1-2 minutes to crisp the bottom into a socarrat - listen for a light crackling and toasted aroma - then let rest a few minutes before serving.