by Paul Yow (from Barcelona Cooking Class, 2007)

Serves 4 – 6

Equipment

12 inch paella pan (or you can use a 12 inch skillet)
Fine mesh strainer
Cutting board
Knife
Stainless steel bowls
Measuring cups and spoons
Tongs
2 - 1 gallon size Ziploc bags
Cookie sheet
Latex or vinyl gloves
1 - 8 or 9 inch pie tin
2 medium (2 – 3 quart) sauce pots
Food thermometer

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
6 cups water
4 t. saffron threads
1 cup white wine
6 ounces tomato juice
4 large garlic cloves
1 medium size Spanish or white onion
1/4 cup roasted red bell peppers
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 pound Prince Edward Island mussels
12 large (16 – 20 count) raw shrimp
1/4 pound fresh calamari
4 each bone-in chicken legs and thighs
1/4 pound chorizo (Spanish sausage)
or your favorite spicy pork or beef sausage
1 T. Spanish paprika
1/8 teas. cayenne pepper
2 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. lemon juice
4 T. butter
12 T. olive oil
2 1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper

To prepare

The day before -

Cook the rice first. Rinse the rice well by putting it in a fine strainer and running cold water through it for 3 minutes (this will remove excess starch and any powder that was added for shipping – they do this to keep it dry). Crush the saffron threads with your fingers and combine with the _ cup of the white wine in a medium saucepot. Put over a medium heat and bring to a simmer, then cover, shut off heat, and steep for 5 minutes. Add the rinsed rice, 3 cups of the water, 2 T. of the butter, bay leaf and a pinch of salt. Place, uncovered, over high heat and bring to a heavy simmer. Cover pot and reduce heat to low. Allow rice to cook very slowly for 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and allow to rest, still covered, for 5 minutes more. Dump the rice out onto the cookie sheet and spread into a thin layer to cool. Stir occasionally to speed up the cooling, then store refrigerated in a Ziploc bag.

Next, marinate the chicken. Wearing gloves while handling chicken, trim any excess fat from the thighs and legs, rinse briefly under cold running water, pat dry with paper towels and put in a Ziploc bag. Peel and thinly slice the garlic cloves and add half of it to the chicken along with 4 T. of the olive oil, the vinegar, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, paprika and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Close the bag tightly and turn it over several times so that the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Refrigerate.

Make saffron broth (to moisten the dish and tie it all together). Peel and dice the onion. Heat the other sauce pot over medium heat for 3 minutes then add 4 T. olive oil and the onions. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until onions are clear but not brown. Add the other 2 T. saffron and the white wine. Bring to a simmer, cook for 5 minutes then add the tomato juice and 3 cups of water. Bring back to a simmer, cook 3 minutes more then remove from heat. When cooled to room temperature cover and refrigerate.

The day of -

Peel and devein (cut down the back about 1/8 inch deep and remove the dark ‘vein’) the shrimp, leaving the tail section attached. Rinse and scrub the mussels thoroughly. Rinse the calamari and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut the chorizo at an angle into thin slices.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray your baking pan with non-stick spray and place chicken, evenly spaced apart, in pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until nicely browned and a food thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh reads 140 degrees. Time your cooking so that the chicken will be done around the same time you plan to start the final steps of the Paella. Place your paella pan over a medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil, the other half of the garlic and the chorizo. Stir for 5 minutes to brown the sausage and cook the garlic. Add the shrimp, calamari and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes more. Add the rice and the paella broth, increase the heat to medium high, and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining 2 T. butter, peppers, peas, chicken and mussels. Simmer for 3 minutes and taste the broth to see if it needs salt and add if necessary. Using tongs, arrange the shrimp and mussels attractively on the top of the rice and place in the oven. Bake for 12–14 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the top is lightly browned. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve right away.