By Bobbie Ames
Ingredients:
Serves 4 to 6 people
- Non-stick vegetable cooking spray
- 1 cup short-grain rice (like Arborio)
- 1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or substitute with vegetable broth and/or white wine for a vegetarian option)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8 teaspoon saffron
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 shallot, thinly sliced
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails kept on
- 1/2 pound langoustines or scallops
- 1 pound mussels
- 1 pound cherrystone clams
- 3/4 cup canned chopped tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced roasted red peppers
- 1/4 cup green olives (like Cerignola or Castelvetrano), pitted and sliced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 preserved Meyer lemon, diced or grilled slices from one lemon
Instructions:
- Place an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a rimmed baking sheet or cazuela with cooking spray. Spread the rice evenly on the bottom and toast it in the oven for 5 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the broth, bay leaf, black pepper, smoked paprika, saffron, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring this mixture to a gentle boil over medium heat.
- Once the rice has toasted, remove it from the oven, and give it a stir. Layer the sliced shallots on top of the rice, then carefully pour the hot broth mixture over everything. Cover the baking sheet or cazuela with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. After this, carefully take off the foil, stir the rice again, and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Take the baking sheet out of the oven, remove the bay leaf, and give the rice another stir. Distribute the shrimp, mussels, langoustines or scallops, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and olives over the rice. Continue baking until the rice is tender, the shrimp are pink and opaque, and the mussels have opened, which should take about another 8 minutes. Once done, transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and mix in the parsley and preserved Meyer lemon.
*Cazuela: a traditional Spanish dish used for cooking and serving food in the oven or on the stovetop.
