Paella

Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 small yellow onion, peeled
3 pounds chicken pieces
salt
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 pound cured ham, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole canned pimento or roasted peppers, diced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined
2 1/2 cups short grain Paella rice from Valencia, Spain
5 T chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine, Sauvignon blanc
1 T lemon juice
1/2 pound shelled fresh or frozen peas
24 Manila clams, washed
24 mussels, washed

Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley

Preparing the paella:
Heat the stock with the saffron and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove the onion and measure approximately 5 1/2 cups stock.

Cut the chicken into small serving pieces, the breast into 4 parts, the thigh into 2 parts, the wings discarded, the end removed from the drumstick. Dry the chicken pieces and salt lightly. In a paella pan with about a 15-inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally until golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add the chorizo and ham to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and pimentos and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, 7 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and add to the chicken. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Add the parsley and bay leaves.

Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add to the pan along with the wine, lemon juice, peas and salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes. Bury the shrimp, chicken, clams and mussels in the rice. Bake uncovered until the clams and mussels are open, 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges.

Serves 8 to 10