Seafood Paella

Lobster and Mushroom Paella Spanish

Lobster And Mushroom Paella Spanish

Ingredients

For the STOCK

• 1 ripe tomato, halved
• ½ head garlic, papery skin removed, halved
• 4 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1½-pound lobster
• 3 blue crabs, fresh or frozen
• 3 tablespoons salmorra

For the RICE

• ¼ cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh seasonal mushrooms such as chanterelles, pioppini, and beech
• 1 cup Spanish bomba rice
• pinch of saffron
• sea salt to taste
• allioli

Method

1. Prepare the stock: Combine the tomato, garlic, parsley, and bay leaf in a large stockpot
2. Using a sharp knife, separate the lobster head from the claws and body
3. Split the lobster head in half and add to the pot
4. Refrigerate the body and claws until ready to use in the paella
5. With the same sharp knife, cut the crabs into quarters and add them to the pot
6. Cover with 2 quarts of water and stir in the salmorra
7. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the stock for 1 hour
8. Remove the stock from the heat
9. Transfer the lobster head and the crabs, and 2 cups of the stock to a blender and crush the shellfish
10. Then stir the crushed shellfish mixture back into the pot until well combined
11. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer or a cheesecloth-lined colander
12. Press down on the solids with the back of a spoon to release all the liquids
13. Discard the solids and set the stock aside
14. Prepare the rice: Using a sharp knife, cut up the reserved lobster
15. Separate the claws from the knuckles and slice the tail into 4 pieces
16. Crack the claws with the knife so they will be easy to pull apart once they are cooked
17. Cut the knuckles into two pieces
18. In a 13-inch paella pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat for 2 minutes until just smoking
19. Add the lobster pieces and saute about 1 minute on each side
20. Transfer the lobster to a plate
21. Pour 2 more tablespoons of the olive oil into the paella pan, then add the mushrooms and saute for 2 minutes
22. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute
23. Pour in 3 cups of the strained stock and stir until well combined, about 30 seconds
24. Increase the heat to high and cook for 6 minutes
25. Do not stir the rice again as it may cause the rice to cook unevenly
26. Add the saffron and season to taste with salt
27. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 11 minutes
28. After about 6 minutes, add the lobster pieces to the paella to continue to cook for the final 5 minutes
29. The rice should have absorbed all of the liquid
30. Remove the paella from the heat, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let the paella rest for 5 minutes before serving
31. Serve with spoonfuls of allioli