Shrimp and Clam Paella + Donkey & Goat's Grenache Blanc Skins #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Donkey & Goat Winery.* All opinions are my own.

This was a recipe I tested to go with Donkey & Goat's Grenache Blanc Skins. While, in the end, I opted to post my Petrale Sole, Fennel, and Potato Gratin for their Spring wine release, it was simply because this recipe can be seen as complicated and requiring a special pot - a paella pan. You can accomplish the same thing with any large skillet. But I agreed with Jared that this crossed the line from inspiring to intimidating. That is definitely not where I wanted to go for the project.

But I did want to share it regardless because it was a fabulous dish with the wine! This is not a traditional paella, at least not the way I was taught...with chicken and seafood. But it's what I had and I wanted to pair the wine with a seafood dish.

Ingredients serves 8

• 1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled (peels and heads reserved)
• 1 pound clams (scrubbed and dried)
• 8 T olive oil (a good rule of thumb = 1 T per serving)
• 1 organic onion
• 3 to 4 whole cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed
• 1 bell pepper (I used a yellow bell pepper)
• 3 ripe, organic tomatoes, chopped
• 2 C Spanish paella rice
• 1 generous pinch saffon
• 1 Carmencita Paella Spice Mix sachet+ 
• 5 to 6 C fish stock, warmed

+ friends brought some back from Spain for me, so I use it. You can also order it on Amazon. But, in a pinch, you can add a blend of paprika, pepper, and clove to the pot. These packets also include a food coloring that makes regular paella a rich golden color. 

Procedure

Peel and dice the onions. Deseed and dice the bell pepper. I love my son's solution for his eyes while chopping onions: his snorkeling mask. No tears!

Heat olive oil in the paella pan. Stir in the garlic. Add onions and bell pepper. Sauté until the onion is softened and translucent. Add in the tomatoes and cook until they have lost their shape slightly, approximately 6 to 7 minutes.

Sprinkle the seasoning packet into the pot and add the saffron to the side so it's not where the heat is most concentrated.

Tip in the rice. Nestle the shrimp and clams in the rice. Pour in the stock. At this point, do not stir. Gently shake the pan to distribute the rice and seafood evenly. But do not stir. Ever. As my friend who taught me how to make paella instructed me: "This is not risotto."

Bring the pan to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Watch the pan and keep turning it so that the rice cooks evenly. As it cooks, the stock will be fully absorbed.

You will see fewer and fewer bubbles popping up through the top. When it is completely dry, it's done. The rice should also be crackling. It reminds me of rice krispies. Snap, crackle, and pop!

When you no longer see any bubbles, remove the pan from the heat. Tent it with foil and let it steam for 10 minutes.

To serve, use a flat spatula to scrape the soccarat from the bottom. Invert the scoop onto the individual plates to show off your soccarat, that delicious, crusty goodness on the bottom of the pan! 

Read my thoughts about this wine in the gratin post. It's amazing and I can't wait to get my hands on another bottle soon.

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*Disclosure: I received complimentary product for the purpose of recipe development. This is a sponsored post that contains affiliate links. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.*