Arroz de Marisco

Thoroughly wash the mussels, remove the "beard" and discard any broken shells or ones that don't close after a light tap. Peel the shrimp, setting the shells and heads aside separately, and refrigerate the shrimp themselves. Cut the squid into rings about 1 cm wide.

In a saucepan, combine the fish stock, shrimp shells and heads, and bay leaf, bring to a boil and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes for a richer flavor. Strain through a sieve and keep the stock hot.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a wide, thick-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper, and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened, stirring frequently. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 1 minute until fragrant.

Add the canned tomatoes with their juice and the tomato paste, mash with a spatula and simmer for 5 minutes over medium heat until the mixture thickens to a sauce-like consistency.

Stir in the rice and mix for 1-2 minutes so the grains are coated in the sauce. Pour in 100 ml white wine and let it almost fully evaporate, then add the hot strained stock. Season with salt to taste, bring to a boil and simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally — the mixture should remain noticeably looser than regular rice.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a dry skillet over high heat and sear the shrimp and squid for 1-2 minutes per side, just until opaque. Season with black pepper and remove from heat.

In a separate saucepan, place the mussels, pour in 50 ml white wine, cover with a lid and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes until the shells open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.

Once the rice has simmered for 15 minutes and remains very moist (add a little hot water if needed — the dish should be noticeably more moist than paella), add the seared shrimp and squid along with the mussels and their cooking liquid to the pot. Stir and heat everything together for 3-4 minutes, until the rice is tender. Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped coriander and parsley, and serve immediately while hot.