SEAFOOD PAELLA
BOMBA RICE
Bomba rice is the de facto paella rice, a short-grained variety cultivated in Easter Spain that is said to have originated from an Indian variety brought to the Iberian peninsula. One important property of bomba is its ability to absorb two or three times its volume in water without bursting. As a result, more water is needed to cook bomba than other similar varieties, and the grains of rice tend to hold their structure well after cooking. You can use Arborio in its place.
RATING
SERVES
6
PREP TIME
20 min
COOK TIME
50 min
Ingredients
- 2 large carrots diced
- 2 white onions minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2/3 cup canned whole tomatoes
- 1 cup Bomba or Arborio rice
- Pinch of turmeric
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin Greek olive oil
- 1 pound fresh large shrimp shelled and deveined
- 1/4 cup dry Greek white wine
- 1 pound mussels scrubbed and debearded
- 1 pound octopus roughly chopped
- Seasalt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
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Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 6 minutes. Stir in the rice and sprinkle with turmeric and cook for 5 minutes until well coated. Stir in the tomatoes and 1 1/2 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
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Cover and simmer over low heat, without stirring, until the rice is al dente and the liquid is absorbed 15 minutes.
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Nestle the shrimp, mussels, and octopus into the mixture, and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top nearly tender. (If, for some reason, your rice is still not cooked, add ¼ cup more water or broth and continue cooking).
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Remove pan from heat and cover pan with a lid or tinfoil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow it to rest for 10 minutes.
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Want to learn more easy, healthy Mediterranean diet recipes? Sign up for my online course “Mastering the Mediterranean!“
