Fisherman’s rice with shellfish and Tio Pepe

Serves 6
Cooking Time Prep time 20 mins, cook 55 mins

50 ml	olive oil
100 gm	pipis and clams, soaked
8	baby calamari, cleaned and cut into rings, tentacles reserved
8	medium green prawns, peeled, cleaned, tails intact
50 ml	palomino fino sherry, such as Tio Pepe (see note)
6	garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp	flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
400 gm	bomba rice (see note)
1 litre (4 cups)	fish stock (see white beans with clams and albariño wine)
1	pinch of Spanish saffron threads
Sofrito
60 ml (¼ cup)	olive oil
25 gm	pancetta, finely chopped
4	garlic cloves, finely chopped
1	fresh bay leaf
1	thyme sprig
¼	onion, finely chopped
¼	each of green and red capsicum, seeds removed, finely chopped
1	very ripe tomato, finely chopped

1	For sofrito, heat oil in a saucepan. Add pancetta, garlic and herbs and stir over low heat until soft (2 minutes). Add onion and cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Add capsicum and cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Add tomato and cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Season to taste and set aside.
2	Meanwhile, heat oil in a wide saucepan, add seafood, stir for 1-2 minutes over high heat, deglaze pan with sherry. Stir through garlic and parsley, season to taste, set aside.
3	Heat 80ml sofrito in a casserole over medium heat (freeze any remaining sofrito for another use). Stir through rice, then add fish stock and stir for 30 seconds. Add saffron, season to taste, then stir occasionally over low heat until rice is al dente (15-20 minutes). Add shellfish and serve immediately.

Note Palomino fino is a dry sherry available from select bottleshops. Bomba rice is a short-grain rice from the Calasparra region, available from delicadofoods.com.au. If unavailable, substitute with another short-grain rice.