Seafood Paella

Lucinda tosses fresh clams, halibut and linguica sausage with saffron-infused rice for an impressive one-pot meal.

Ingredients

2 1 1/2-pound lobsters
4 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 links linguica (about 1/2 pound), skinned and chopped; or chopped cured Spanish-style chorizo or other cured sausage
2 cups white rice
3 cups fish or chicken broth, heated
1 pinch of crushed saffron
Coarse salt (depends on saltiness of linguica and clams)
1 dozen littleneck clams, well cleaned
1 1/2 pounds codfish or any firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 2-inch pieces
Sprigs of fresh parsley, coarsely chopped, for garnish

Bring 1 1/2 inches of water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add the lobsters, cover, and cook for 13 minutes. Remove the lobsters and cool just enough to handle. Crack the shells and remove the meat. Keep the claws whole and chop the remainder of the meat into large pieces and reserve.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Heat a 12-inch ovenproof skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and saute the onion and bell pepper until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the linguica and cook for 3 minutes. Gently stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes to lightly toast.
Add the broth, saffron, and salt, and bring to boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and cover with a lid or sheet of foil and place the paella in the oven for 10 minutes. Uncover and scatter the clams around on top of the rice. Cover and cook for 15 minutes more, or until the clams are open and the liquid is absorbed. With 3 minutes left to cook, add the codfish and lobster. Discard any clams that do not open. Garnish with parsley and serve.