Seafood Paella

I had one year subscription of Bon Appetit for free and I really enjoyed reading the recipes. I kept saying that one day, I will try to make at least a few of them. I had my eye on a Paella recipe for months. I love Paella because it reminds me of a filipino dish called Luzon-Style Rice or Biringe that I used to love back home. My mom, grandmother and a few of my aunts usually makes it for Fiesta or a birthday party. Their recipe is actually simple but I found a much simpler one in the January 2009 Issue of Bon Appetit - Best of the Year.  I decided to serve this dish to my good friends for our quarterly dinner get together 2 days after Thanksgiving. I thought it will be a nice change from the standard Thanksgiving meal. I was pretty sure they didn't want to see turkey and stuffing again on the table.

INGREDIENTS: Serves 6 - 8

1/8 cup of olive oil

1/4 lb fresh chorizo or polish sausage, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (mild or spicy, depending on preference)

6 crushed and chopped garlic gloves

1 cup fresh chopped tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon crushed saffron

1 cup medium -grain rice

6 cups simmering chicken stock

1/2 lb shrimp (about 16-20 in shells without heads)

12 fresh mussels (scrubbed and de-bearded)

1/2 cup frozen petit peas

1/2 cup fresh or roasted red pepper strips

Heat olive oil in large pan or paella pan over medium heat. Add chorizo and garlic and continue cooking until browned. Add tomatoes and saffron and cook until liquid evaporates. Add the rice, cooking an additional minute or two, then add the chicken stock. Once the stock comes to a simmer, add the shrimp, mussels and peas. Taste stock, adding salt and pepper as needed. Before the rice absorbs the liquid, arrange the seafood, adding red pepper strips. Do not stir. Simmer until all the liquid evaporates. Cook a few more minutes to create a lightly toasted rice crust on the bottom of the pan, this happens when you hear a faint fying sound and smell the toasted rice. Let the dish resta few minutes before serving.