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.
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2
large carrots
diced
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2
white onions
minced
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3
garlic cloves
minced
-
2/3
cup
canned whole tomatoes
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1
cup
Bomba or Arborio rice
-
Pinch
of turmeric
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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
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Seasalt and freshly ground pepper
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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.