Zarzuela

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium to large onion, 8 to 12 ounces
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 green bell pepper
• 2 ounces prosciutto
• 1/3 cup toasted almonds
• two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
• two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
• 3 bay leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 12 mussels
• 8 ounces sea scallops
• 8 ounces squid
• 12 ounces shelled shrimp
• 8 parsley sprigs

Put the oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Peel the onion and cut into quarters (or sixths, if large). Peel the garlic. Chop the onion and garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the saute pan and raise the heat to high. Cut the top from the bell pepper. Stand it upright and cut down inside the four walls, separating them from the center core and seeds. Then cut the walls into thin strips.
Add to the saute pan and stir. Coarsely chop the prosciutto and almonds. Add them to the saute pan and stir. Open the can of tomatoes and bottles of clam juice. Add the tomatoes and their juices, the clam juice, saffron and bay leaves to the saute pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Rinse the mussels under cool running water and pull out the beards (the threads that protrude from the seams).
Add the mussels to the saute pan. Stir, cover and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the rubbery hinges from the sides of the scallops. Halve the scallops if large. Cut the squid crosswise into rings about 1/2 inch wide. Add the shrimp to the saute pan, stir, cover, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the scallops and squid, stir, cover, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until all the seafood is cooked. (The mussels should have opened and the shrimp, scallops, and squid should be just firm. Discard any mussels that do not open.)
While the seafood cooks, chop the parsley leaves. Taste the zarzuela for salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaves. Ladle the stew into large soup plates and sprinkle with parsley.
 

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