Ed Ames' Valencia Paella

Ed Ames' Valencia Paella

2 1/2 pound frying chicken, cut in very small pieces
1/4 pound chorizo (or garlic-flavored pork sausages), sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound large whole fresh shrimp (cleaned and deveined)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
About 1 1/2 cups stock (chicken broth, clam juice or water)
2 1/2 cups long-grained uncooked rice
Good pinch of crushed saffron (diluted in few tbsps. warm water)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 dozen cherrystone clams, cleaned
1/2 pkg. frozen peas
4 ounce can sweet red pimientos, sliced
Chopped parsley
1 green pepper, sliced
2 peeled, chopped tomatoes cut in quarters

Brown chicken and sausage in a paella pan (or large frying pan) until golden; remove meat, reserve. Saute lobster and shrimp in same pan; remove and reserve. Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in same pan until vegetables are transparent. Add tomatoes, wine, stock. Bring to a boil, simmer uncovered 5 minutes, stirring. Add chicken and sausage to the pan with rice, saffron and seasonings. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes without stirring. Add cherrystone clams, half of them peeled and half of them on top so they will steam open. Put shrimp, peas and pimiento on top. Simmer until just heated through. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 6.

Ed's Thoughts: For appearance, some cooks like to run the dish in a hot oven to brown and crisp the top of the rice. For party touches use pieces of cooked lobster or mussels to decorate the top.