Paella de Barcelona

Wherever you go in Spain, there is paella. Inland they make Paella with rabbit, but the best Paella is in Barcelona at the beach restaurants. I had Paella de Barcelona everyday for lunch. Makes a great party dish and almost everything cooks together. Serves six.

6-quart pot
very large frying pan or paella pan
blender or mortar and pestle
2-quart saucepan
several bowls

12 fryer chicken thighs
1 lb. lean pork in 1-inch pieces
1 lb. Polish sausage, sliced
1 lb. Shrimp with shells
3 cups rice
4 tomatoes chopped coarsely
1 pack frozen peas, thawed
1 T. parsley
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 t. salt
1/4 t. saffron
olive oil
2 green peppers, sliced
4 dozen mussels or clams
1 lb. cubed fish, or scallops
1 lb. cleaned, sliced squid
2 onions, sliced coursely
4 pimientos, sliced
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 T. pine nuts (optional)
1 t. paprika
1 bay leaf
1 C. boiling water

Cook chicken in boiling water to cover, 15 minutes. Remove and set aside. Reduce broth to two cups and defat, set aside. Scrub shell fish. In pan (or paella pan) fry chicken in a little olive oil. Add sausage, pork, green pepper, fish or scallops, and squid. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and add olive oil as needed to keep food from sticking. Add rice, two cups reserve broth, mix into dish, and add mussels or clams.

In saucepan heat 1 cup olive oil. Add tomatoes, onion, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, salt, saffron, and boiling water. Mix thoroughly, then add peas. Cook slowly five minutes.

Add tomato mixture slowly to pan then add pimientos and shrimp. Stir all in well. Cook 10 minutes on medium to low heat, no need to stir.

In blender (or mortar) grind garlic, parsley, 1 tablespoon reserve tomato liquid, and optional pine nuts. Stir into main dish and cook five minutes more. Let stand five minutes, serve. Try the Sangria recipe (on previous page), a great accompaniment to the paella.