Amy's Seafood Paella ("Mucho Goodo")

5-1/2 cups bottled clam juice or fish broth
1 bay leaf (if you don't crumble it, it's easier to remove later)
1-1/2 tsp. fresh or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
6 peppercorns
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
4 large scallions, chopped
1/2 tsp. crumbled thread saffron
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 lbs. firm fleshed fish steaks (monkfish, grouper, halibut) cut into 3/4 in. cubes
3/4 lb. small shrimp, shelled
7 Tbsp. olive oil
16 Jumbo shrimp in shells, or 4 lobster tails in shells, split in halves, lengthwise
1 ea. med. green and red bell peppers, seeds and membranes removed, finely chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. sweet paprika
3 ripe medium tomatoes finely chopped
3 cups short grain rice such as Arborio
1/2 cup frozen peas
1-1/2 dozen small mussels or Manila clams, thoroughly cleaned
1 large pimiento, cut in long 1/2 inch strips

In a large pot, combine clam juice, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, salt to taste, parsley and scallions. Bring to a boil, reduce to slow simmer and cook 15 min. Stir in saffron and wine.

Preheat gas oven to 400 degrees.

Meanwhile, sprinkle fish and shelled shrimp with salt and let sit at room temp. Heat 3 Tbsp. of the olive oil in a paella pan measuring 17 to 18 in. at its rim or in a shallow casserole until very hot, over 2 burners if necessary. Add fish and shelled and unshelled shrimp and stir fry about 2 min. (Jumbo shrimp should not be fully cooked.) Remove seafood to a warm platter, leaving oil in pan.

Add remaining 4 Tbsp. olive oil to pan, heat and saute peppers about 3 min. Add garlic and cook 1 min. Stir in parika and tomatoes and cook 2 min. Add rice and coat well with pan ingredients. Pour in hot clam juice and wine mixture and boil 5 min. Stir in peas and all of the reserved seafood except jumbo shrimp, taste for salt, and boil over medium-high heat uncovered until rice is no longer soupy but sufficient liquid remains to continue cooking the rice, about 5 more min.

Push mussels into rice with edges that will open facing up. Arrange Jumbo shrimp over the rice and garnish with pimiento strips. Transfer to oven and cook, uncovered, until rice is almost al dente - 10 to 12 min. in gas oven, 15 to 20 min. in electric oven. Remove to warm spot, cover with foil and let sit for about 5 min. or until rice is cooked to taste.

Amy's note: This makes a large batch of paella - enough for two paella pans! Cheers