SEAFOOD FIDEUA

Steps:

• 1.> Preheat oven to 375°F. 2.> Pour oil into a heavy-bottomed skillet, over medium-low heat. Add all sofrito ingredients into skillet, except tomatoes, and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Allow mixture to caramelize for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally. 3.> Stir in tomatoes and cook down an additional 30 minutes or until the mixture becomes thick. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow sofrito to cool completely. 4.> Pour stock and saffron into a medium saucepan, place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Poach seafood in the saffron-infused stock, one type at a time, until shrimp and octopus have just cooked through and the clams and mussels have just opened. Remove from stock and set aside, covered. 5.> Pour oil into a 14"-16" paella pan (or heavy-bottomed skillet) and place over medium-high heat. Brown longaniza for about 1-2 minutes and remove from pan. Set aside. 6.> Drain all but 2 tablespoons of grease from pan and add fideo, longaniza and ¼ cup sofrito to pan and season with salt and pepper. Stir together and sauté for about 2 minutes. 7.> Pour hot stock over fideo mixture and bring to a boil. Once mixture has come to a boil, add octopus back into pan (gently tucking each piece down into fideo mixture). Lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and fideo has cooked through. Uncover, raise heat to high and cook for 3-4 minutes to create socarrat, or crispy, golden crust. 8.> Remove from heat and top with remaining poached seafood (warm seafood slightly, if needed). Finish with a sprinkle of tarragon and lemon wedges. Serve.