Spanish Seafood Paella

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs chicken parts
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
• 1/2 cup sliced green onion
• 1 lb squid, cleaned, sacs cut into rings
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron thread
• 1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 cups short-grain rice (preferably Spanish or Italian)
• 6 cups warm chicken stock
• 1 1/2 lbs small live clams
• 1 cup frozen peas

Directions

1. 1

   With a heavy cleaver, chop each breast half into 3 pieces and each leg into 4 pieces.

2. 2

   Combine the oil, onion, and garlic in a 12- to 14-inch skillet or paella pan and place over low heat.

3. 3

   When the onion begins to sizzle, increase the heat to medium.

4. 4

   Add the chicken pieces a few at a time and cook until lightly browned, sprinkling them with a little of the salt and pepper as they cook.

5. 5

   As they brown, move the chicken pieces to the outside of the pan to make room for more in the center.

6. 6

   When all the chicken has lost its raw color, add the squid, peppers, green onion, and the remaining salt, and crumble in the saffron. Stir in the rice, cooking for a minute or so to coat it with the oil.

7. 7

   Add warm stock to within 1 inch of the rim of the pan (not all the stock may be needed).

8. 8

   Arrange the shrimp over the top, and the mussels or clams in a ring around the outside, hinged side down.

9. 9

   Cook at a lively simmer until the rice is just tender, about 20 minutes; scatter the peas over the top halfway through the cooking time.

10. 10

    The paella may seem a little soupy when it first comes off the fire, but the rice will absorb the excess liquid in a few minutes.