Paella-Spanish Rice with Shrimp, Squid and Chicken

Ingredients

½ cup white wine

3 threads of saffron

3 chicken thighs, chopped up

½ pound Spanish chorizo (*or bacon), sliced

1 pound 31-40 (per pound) shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail off

1 pound squid tubes, cleaned, rinsed and cut into half circles

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, seeds and white part removed, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 Tablespoon pimenton (smoked paprika)

½ cup parsley, chopped

1 cup fresh or frozen peas

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups bomba or calasparra rice

juice of one lemon

Instructions

Heat up wine in a pot and add saffron. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a 10 inch paella pan (a similar size skillet will work as well). Cook the chorizo and chicken thighs together until nicely browned. Remove chicken and chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside.

In the same pan, sauté the onion and garlic for 5 minutes or until they become soft; add the tomato and red pepper. Season with salt, pepper and pimenton; add the bay leaf. Stir ingredients together. Add the rice to the mixture and “toast” in the pan for about two minutes. Stir in the wine saffron mixture and let it absorb into rice. Add the stock and half of the parsley to the rice; stir. Let simmer for about 10 minutes then add the chicken and chorizo. After 20 minutes add the shrimp, squid and lemon juice. When rice is cooked, add the rest of the parsley and peas. Fluff rice with a fork.

**if the rice is not cooked all the way cover pan with lid or foil and let steam. You can also put the pan in a 350 degree oven and cook like a pilaf until finished.