CHICKEN, SAUSAGE AND SEAFOOD PAELLA

SERVES 6 to 8

I wanted to make this for years and finally did. Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you. It is time-consuming, but not difficult at all. And it is excellent. I must admit however, my mussels died before I got to use them. The fish monger didn't get enough air in the bag or something. Don't worry, I got reimbursed. The dish was still very good because it has plenty of shrimp.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shrimp

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped (about 2 cups)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, crushed with fingers, with juices

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

6 chicken wings (can use legs or thighs)

3/4 pound chorizo sausage, cut into small pieces

3 cups arborio rice

2 cups broth reserved from cooked shrimp peels

3 cups low-salt canned chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon saffron

2 cups frozen green peas

1 pound mussels, debearded and rinsed (scrub them if needed)

Peel the shrimp and refrigerate until use. Place the peels in a medium saucepan with 2 cups water. Bing to a boil; cover and simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Strain the broth and reserve.

Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the onions and peppers; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté another minute. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, cumin, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400° F. Heat a 14-inch ovenproof skillet or paella pan over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Season the chicken wings lightly with salt and pepper. Brown them for about 5 minutes on one side. Flip over and add the chorizo. Brown both for another 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Remove all but 4 tablespoons of oil from the skillet. Bring the reserved shrimp broth, chicken broth and saffron to a boil in a separate saucepan. Add the rice to the skillet and stir to coat with the oil. Then add the tomato mixture and stir again. Stir in the hot broths. Arrange the chicken and chorizo in the rice. Layer the mussels on top. Place in oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. (During that time, add more broth if needed, but do not stir.) Add the peas and shrimp to the top. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink. Remove from oven and let rest about 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: Saffron is a very expensive spice, but well worth it. Turmeric may be substituted. The flavor is not the same, but it gives that nice yellow color. As I said, the mussels are not necessary to make this dish, but they are traditional. Long-grain rice may be substituted for the arborio. It might take about 5 or 10 minutes less time to cook. Chorizo sausage is a Spanish smoked sausage. If you can't find it, cooked ham could be used instead.

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