Seafood Paella

Ingredients

  Broth:
    3 cups water
    1 cup dry white wine
    1 teaspoon saffron threads
    2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
    Herb Blend:
    1 cup chopped fresh parsley
    1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 teaspoon dried tarragon
    2 large garlic cloves, minced
  Paella:
    1 pound monkfish or other firm white fish fillets
    16 unpeeled jumbo shrimp (about 1 pound)
    1 tablespoon olive oil
    2 cups finely chopped onion
    1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
    1 cup canned diced tomatoes, undrained
    1 teaspoon sweet paprika
    1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    3 garlic cloves, minced
    3 cups uncooked Arborio rice or other short-grain rice
    1 cup frozen green peas
    16 littleneck clams
    1 (7-ounce) jar sliced pimento, drained
    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. To prepare broth, combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. To prepare herb blend, combine parsley and next 4 ingredients (parsley through 2 garlic cloves); set aside.
3. To prepare paella, trim connective tissue from monkfish; cut into 1-inch pieces. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large paella pan or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish and shrimp; saute 1 minute (the seafood mixture will not be cooked through).
4. Remove seafood mixture from pan, and keep warm. Add onion and bell pepper to pan, and saute 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, paprika, crushed red pepper, and 3 garlic cloves; cook 5 minutes. Add rice, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, herb blend, and peas. Bring to a low boil, and cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add clams to pan, nestling them into rice mixture. Cook 5 minutes or until shells open; discard any unopened shells. Stir in the seafood mixture, and arrange shrimp, heads down, in rice mixture. Arrange pimento slices spokelike on top of rice mixture; cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Remove from heat; cover with a towel and let stand 10 minutes.