Recipe: California-Style Paella (using chicken thighs, seafood and sausage)

CALIFORNIA-STYLE PAELLA

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in half (about 1 3/4 pounds with bone-in)
1 pound any combination of scallops, squid or prawns (shelled and deveined)
FOR THE MARINADE:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed and left whole
3 sprigs fresh basil, leaves removed and torn in half
1 tablespoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

FOR THE PAELLA:
3 links Italian sausage or other flavorful, spicy chicken sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in 3/4-inch pieces
4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced or cut in quarters
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice, uncooked
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, heated
2 teaspoons saffron
1/2 cup peeled, seeded and diced Roma tomatoes (may use canned)
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 cup garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed if using canned)
1/3 cup green peas (defrosted if frozen), or about 1 pound in pods
1/3 cup small Spanish olives stuffed with pimentos, drained
1/2 pound mussels or Manila clams, scrubbed
1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional, for garnish)

Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a shallow bowl; Add the chicken and seafood (scallops, squid and/or prawns); cover and marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.

WHEN READY TO PREPARE THE PAELLA:
Remove chicken and seafood from marinade, drain off any excess oil and set aside.

Preheat a gas or stovetop grill. Over medium heat, grill marinated chicken pieces and sausage just until browned on both sides. Don't cook through. Transfer to a cutting board and let sit for 5 minutes. Cut each sausage in 3 or 4 chunks. Set aside sausage and chicken.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat a paellera over medium-high heat; add 2 tablespoons olive oil. When oil is hot, add onion, red bell pepper and mushrooms; saute over medium heat until the vegetables become limp, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and rice. Add heated chicken stock, saffron, tomatoes and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil and add the grilled chicken and sausage. With the back of a spoon, smooth the top of the mixture so that the rice and meat are evenly imbedded.

Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is almost cooked.

Stir in the garbanzo beans, peas, olives and marinated prawns. Smooth the top so that none of the ingredients will become scorched in the oven. Place mussels or clams around outside edge of paella with opening side up.

Return paellera to the oven and bake just until mussels or clams open, about 5 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Remove thyme sprigs and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with lemon wedges if desired.

Makes about 6 servings
Recipe courtesy of Linda Carucci
Source: Michelle Gilles, The Daily Camera, July 31, 2002