Quick Shellfish Paella

• 3 ripe plum tomatoes, about 3/4 pound
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron stems or turmeric
• 18 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 1/2 cups converted rice, uncooked
• 1 cup fresh or bottled clam juice or water
• 3 tablespoons Ricard or ouzo
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 18 littleneck clams, scrubbed and rinsed well
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 pound medium-size shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 4 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Peel the tomatoes and cut them in half.
3. Squeeze them to extract the seeds.
4. Cut into 1/2-inch chunks and set aside.
5. Heat the olive oil in a casserole or large saucepan.
6. Add the onions, celery and garlic.
7. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
8. Do not brown.
9. Add the tomatoes, saffron, pepper flakes, bay leaf and thyme.
10. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes or until the moisture from the vegetables has evaporated.
11. Add the rice and mix thoroughly.
12. Add the clam juice, Ricard and wine.
13. Add the clams, salt and pepper.
14. Stir well.
15. Bring to a boil, cover and put in the oven.
16. Bake 20 minutes.
17. Add the shrimp, cover and bake 5 minutes.
18. Do not overcook.
19. Remove from the oven and mix in the shrimp with a fork.
20. Remove the bay leaf.
21. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.

tomatoes, olive oil, onions, celery, garlic, saffron stems, hot red pepper, bay leaf, thyme, rice, clam juice, ouzo, white wine, littleneck clams, salt, shrimp, parsley

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/7528 (may not work)