Seafood Paella...we do this family style!!!

It's summer! For real...yesterday was the "official" First Day of Summer. So what did you all do? Hopefully you enjoyed the longest day of the year with some food and friends like I did. I am all for family style meals when everyone gathers round the table with hungry eyes and smiles. Food brings people together.

It's a fact.

A fact that I love, a whole lot.

Actually, there are not too many things I enjoy more than making food for friends and family...and even strangers. I just like to share the love of food. What I may not love is cleaning seafood...peeling and deveining shrimp - bah! Not always fun but necessary sometimes. And those mussels...they sure had a good soak and received a good rub down with a nice bristly brush - and boy did they look great. Especially when they lost their beards :)

It's the little steps you take that can make all the difference and for something like a hearty seafood dish...the little extra time pays off. And it sure did for this paella.

Some of you may have never heard of paella. And no you typically don't say ella...ella...ella...ay... ay (Oh Rhiana...sorry I had to).

Paella is Spanish and is pronounced: [paˈeʎa]. Spanish lesson of the day! Done!

This seafood paella that I made would be called: paella de marisco!!! Also, traditionally paella was made over open flame but I of course did care to work with fire on a 90 degree plus day. So I stuck to the kitchen stove for this. Paella is also a great dish because you can play off of the ingredients based on what is fresh and in season. I use smoked paprika because I enjoy that kind of flavor but feel free to use sweet. Try herbs like tarragon and bay. The possibilities are endless with a dish like this. Experiment and have fun with it - because that is what it's all about anyway...making a dish your own.

Gather some friends, drink some wine, tell stories, and enjoy this awesome family style meal. Don't forget to have a friend bring over some gelato for dessert - it will finish off the meal especially well. Just like the sparkling white wine did - thanks, Amber!!!

xoxo, Amanda

Seafood Paella

Broth:
3 cups water
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 large garlic cloves, minced

Paella:about 1 pound of shrimp peeled and deveined

about 20-30 mussels

about 1/2 pound of baby scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell peppers (red, green, orange, etc)
1 cup chopped zucchini

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups uncooked rice (traditionally short grain but this time i used long)

1 cup frozen green peas

1 cup frozen corn
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

4 tbls seafood rub (this is for the shrimp but feel free to season as you like)

Preparation:
To prepare broth, combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat(do not boil).

Add garlic and onion to oiled pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and bell peppers. Then add the garlic cloves, dried thyme. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, slowly and cook for about 10 minutes. Stirring frequently. Add in the corn and peas. And continue to simmer until the water begins to evaporate. This is where I add a little butter to the pan to help crisp the bottom of the paella. A nice crust is what you are looking for - this is what you have if you did this over open flame.

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving the tails on. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp; saute for about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. Heat same pan with a bit of butter and saute your scallops for about 3 minutes over high heat. Remove from skillet and add to paella.

Now...here is where you could add your shrimp and uncooked mussels to the paella pan, and cover until the mussels open.

I however love to infuse the mussels a bit so I steam them separately in a simple white wine broth. Cooking them for about 5 minutes or until shells open; discarding any unopened shells.

Stir in the seafood mixture, and sprinkle with paprika. Then arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture. Arrange the cooked mussels next. Sprinkle with lemon juice, chopped fresh parsley, and green onion. Garnish with lemon slices. I also drizzle the leftover broth from the mussels over the hot paella...I love that broth and wouldn't let it go to waste.

Serve!!! Eat!!! Enjoy!!!