Spanish Paella

Ingredients

• Extra-virgin olive oil for sautéing
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 lb sea scallops, cleaned, patted dry, and adductor muscles removed
• 1 lb pink hopper prawns or other large shrimp, shell-on, split down the back through the shell and deveined
• 1 link Spanish style chorizo (5-6 ounces) sliced on a bias into 1/8” think pieces
• 2 to 3 small to medium yellow onions, diced
• 2 large red bell peppers, diced
• 10 to 12 large garlic cloves, finely diced
• 5 large roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp sweet Spanish smoked paprika
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 or 2 pinched pf saffron threads
• 6 cups low-sodium vegetable stock or fish stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 dried ancho Chile, seeds removed
• 2 cups bomba or calasparra rice
• lemon wedges to serve
• options garnishes: canned artichoke hearts, blanched green beans, cooked peas

Directions

1. Heat just enough olive oil to thinly coat the bottom of a deep 12-inch sauté pan set over medium high to high heat (use the most powerful burner on your stove). When the oil is hot, add the scallops and sear one side until nicely browned. They will not be fully cooked. Remove from pan. If necessary, wipe out pan and add more oil (if pan is still clean add just enough oil to cover bottom of pan). Add shrimp and sear until they turn color (they will not be fully cooked.) Remove from pan. Reserve the scallops and shrimp and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, add the saffron threads to the white wine; set aside and let steep.
3. Make the sofrito: In the same pan you used for the shrimp and scallops, heat about 1 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onions and red peppers and about 1tsp of kosher salt. Cook about 5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant. Add diced tomatoes, cook over medium heat until the sofrito is reduced to a paste and is a deep burgundy-brown, stirring often to prevent sticking and burning. This process will take about an hour. The mixture will slowly evaporate, darken in color and reduce by about three-quarters. If necessary, lower the heat and add some of the reserved fat to prevent sticking. The concentrated sofrito is what gives paella its depth of flavor and signature color so be patient with this process.
4. While the sofrito is cooking, prepare your cooking liquid. Place the stock (or water) in a sauce pot, add bay leaves and ancho chile, heat to infuse. When the liquid is hot, add about 2 tsp of kosher salt, or to taste (if using clam juice, taste first as you may not need to add any salt). It should be seasoned enough as if you were making it to serve on its own. Cover and keep warm.
5. When the sofrito is close to being ready, remove the ancho and bay leaf from the stock and heat the stock to a simmer. Raise the heat under the sofrito and add the smoked paprika and wine-saffron mix. Stir to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan and cook until the liquid is almost all gone. Add half of the chorizo slices and the rice, stirring so that the rice is completely coated with the sofrito. Distribute the rice evenly in the pan and carefully pour the hot stock into the pan. Cook, uncovered, without stirring, until the liquid has evaporated and the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes, lowering the heat as needed so the liquid stays at a lively simmer.
6. Move the pan over the burner occasionally so that the entire bottom is exposed evenly to the heat. Five minutes before the rice is done, nestle the reserved scallops, shrimp, and chorizo slices and any optional garnishes into the rice. To develop the characteristic bottom layer of caramelized rice, raise the heat under the paella during these last few minutes of cooking and again move the pan over the burner to expose the entire bottom of the pan to the heat. Turn off heat, cover the paella with foil and let settle for ten minutes before serving, making sure that the seafood is cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges.