Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 60g/2¼oz banana shallots
• finely chopped
• 1–2 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 litre/1¾ pint fish stock
• 100g/3½oz finely chopped flatleaf parsley leaves
• 1½ tsp salt
• 400g/14oz short-grain paella rice
• such as Calasparra
• 30 raw clams
• preferably palourde clams
• scrubbed
• 200g/7oz small raw prawns
• peeled
• 4 garlic cloves
• peeled but left whole
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 175ml/6fl oz extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

• For the rice and clams
• heat the oil in a 28–30cm/11–12in shallow flameproof casserole over a medium heat.
• Add the shallot and fry gently for 5 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and fry for 40–60 seconds. Stir in the fish stock
• parsley and salt and bring to the boil.
• Sprinkle in the rice
• stir once
• then leave to simmer vigorously over medium-high heat for 6 minutes.
• Discard any open clams that do not close when given a sharp tap. Put the clams and prawns on top and shake the pan briefly so they sink into the rice a little.
• Lower the heat and leave to simmer gently for another 12 minutes. At the end of this time
• almost all the liquid should be absorbed and the rice will be pitted with small holes
• and the clams should have opened. (Discard any that do not open.)
• Meanwhile for the aioli
• crush the garlic cloves under a knife blade. Sprinkle with the salt
• then work them with the blade into a smooth paste. Scrape into a bowl and add the egg yolk and lemon juice. Using an electric hand mixer
• whisk everything together
• then gradually whisk in the olive oil to make a thick mayonnaise-like mixture.
• Serve the dish in its cooking pot with the aioli on the side.