My mother-in-law Rosa’s signature paella offers a beautiful bounty of flavours from the sea. For decades she has been making it with the same care and attention to details, never rushing it and only using the finest and freshest ingredients. When I think of a paella, this is what I imagine. It remains, for me, simply the best.

Serves six

My mother-in-law Rosa’s signature paella offers a beautiful bounty of flavours from the sea. For decades she has been making it with the same care and attention to details, never rushing it and only using the finest and freshest ingredients. When I think of a paella, this is what I imagine. It remains, for me, simply the best.

7 1/2 cups of water

1/2 lb small clams, purged of sand

Salt

1/2 lb of mussels, scrubbed and debearded

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1-inch squares

1 lb cuttlefish or squid, cut into 2 by 1/2-inch pieces

12 to 18 large raw head-on shrimp with shells

6 raw head-on prawns with shells

4 ripe medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 tsp sweet pimentón

2 pinches saffron threads

1/4 cup fresh or thawed frozen peas

2 1/2 cups short or medium grain rice

In a medium saucepan, bring five cups of the water to the boil and add the clams and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside, covered, leaving the clams in the water (discard any that do not open).

Meanwhile, put the mussels in a small sauté pan with 1/3 cup of the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until all the mussels have opened, between three and five minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Do not drain (discard any that do not open).

Prepare the sofrito. In a 16 to 18-inch paella pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until it begins to brown and become fragrant, about three minutes. Add the cuttlefish and cook until browned and its moisture has been expelled, about another five minutes, stirring constantly and scraping anything that sticks to the pan.

Add the shrimp and cook until pink, about two minutes each side. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the prawns, tomatoes, and two pinches of salt and cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomato has darkened to a deeper shade of red and sofrito is pasty, 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, strain the broth from the clams and reserve it. Discard one shell (the empty one) from each clam and set aside the rest.

When the sofrito is ready, sprinkle pimentón and saffron, letting the flavours meld for a few seconds while stirring constantly. Stir four cups of the reserved clam broth plus the remaining two cups of water into the paella, and add the clams and peas. Simmer for 10 minutes. Taste for salt and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove the prawns and transfer to a platter. Increase the heat, return the mixture to the boil and sprinkle in the rice.

With a wooden spoon, probe the pan to make sure the rice is evenly distributed. Do not stir again. Cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional eight minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al punto, with just a bite to it. Remove from the heat, cover with paper towels and let it rest for five minutes.

Return the prawns to the paella, laying them over the rice. Drain the mussels and discard one shell (the empty one) from each mussel. Arrange the mussels in their remaining shells decoratively around the pan so they are pointing downward. Serve.