(Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Paella Master Recipe, New York Times)
Serves four
Ingredients
* 12 mussels
* ½ dozen clams
• 6 jumbo shrimps
* ½ pound scallops
* ¼ pound firm fleshed fish such as cod, monkfish, or salmon
* 2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced (about 2-4 cloves, depending on size)
* 1 red sweet pepper
* 1 Japanese style long eggplant
* ½ cup broccoli florets
* ½ cup purple kale
• 1-1/2 cups rice (basmati, Jasmine, or any other variety of short- or long-grained rice will work)
• pinch of saffron
• 3 cups chicken broth
• ½ fresh lemon
• Olive oil
Instructions
1. Peel and devein shrimps.
2. Steam mussels and clams open in a pot with water. Remove from shells and keep warm and moist.
3. Mince garlic, cut eggplant into thin circles, red pepper into slices, and broccoli into 1-2 inch florets.
4. Heat oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan. Add garlic and eggplant and sauté for about five minutes until eggplant is soft. Add pepper and broccoli and cook for an additional minute. Remove from heat.
5. Add rice and saffron to pan, and toast at a medium heat for about a minute. Add chicken broth. Lower heat and cover. Cook for about 10 minutes.
6. Remove stems from kale and tear or chop leaves. Add to rice mixture, cover and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.
7. Cut fish into 1-inch pieces and add to rice, along with other vegetables. Cover and continue to cook at a low heat for about five minutes, adding more broth or water, if necessary.
8. Add scallops and shrimp to rice, stirring gently so that hot wet rice covers them. Cover, turn off heat, and allow scallops and shrimp to cook into hot mixture.
9. Drain excess liquid from mussels and clams and add to rice. Top with slices of fresh lemon and serve.
