Categories: not tried

Ingredients

• 1 dozen large littleneck or top neck clams, cleaned
• 1/2 cup minced parsley, divided
• 6 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp crumbled thread saffron
• Kosher salt
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1/4 cup well-washed, minced leeks (white parts only)
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (1-inch) piece dried red chile pepper, or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 tsp sweet paprika, preferably Spanish smoked
• 1 cup imported Spanish short grain or Italian Arborio rice
• 32 Manila clams, or 24 New Zealand cockles, cleaned

Directions

1. Place large clams in a skillet with 3 cups water. Swish clams to remove any sand. Bring to a boil, cover and cook, removing clams as they open. Shake dry and chop coarsely. Set aside. Pour clam broth through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or 1 layer of 2-ply paper towel. Measure out 2 3/4 cups and reserve. Refrigerate additional broth for another use.

2. Set aside 2 tbsp parsley. In a mortar or mini processor, mash to a paste the 6 tbsp remaining parsley, garlic, saffron and 1/8 tsp salt. Combine with wine and lemon juice. Set aside.

3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400 degrees for gas, 450 degrees for electric. Warm the reserved clam broth over a low flame. Heat the oil in a paella pan measuring about 13 inches (or in a shallow flame-resistant casserole of a similar size), and saute over low heat the onion, leeks, pepper, bay leaf and chile pepper until the vegetables are softened. Add the chopped clams, and saute 5 minutes more. Remove the bay leaf and chile pepper, and stir in the paprika. Add the rice, and stir well. Pour in the broth, bring to a boil, taste for salt, add the mortar mixture and Manila clams and boil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the rice is no longer soupy but sufficient liquid remains to continue cooking the rice.

4. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, 10 to 12 minutes in a gas oven or 15 to 20 minutes in an electric oven, until the rice is almost al dente. Remove to a warm spot, cover with foil and let sit 5 to 10 minutes, until the rice is cooked to taste.

5. To achieve a crusty bottom, return the paella to the stove over high heat and cook without stirring until a crust of rice forms at the bottom of the pan. Be careful not to let it burn. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tbsp parsley and serve.

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