Authentic Spanish paella gets its name from the shallow two-handled pan in which it is cooked. There are only three 'must have' ingredients - short-grain rice for its velvety creaminess, saffron for its taste and golden hue, plus olive oil - most paellas include a colourful selection of sweet peppers, green peas, seafood, chicken and spicy chorizo sausage, which simmers to doneness as the rice plumps.

1. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch thick slices. Remove skin from chicken; trim off fat. Using sharp heave knife, cut through chicken leg at joint to separate thigh from drumstick.

2. In large paella pan or deep wide skillet, hat oil over high heat; cook sausage, stirring, for 2 minutes or until browned. Remove to platter. Reduce heat to medium. Add chicken and cook for 7-10 minutes per side or until evenly browned. Add to platter.

3. Stir saffron into chicken stock; set aside to soften. Add onion and garlic to pan; cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add stock mixture, tomatoes and green pepper; bring to boil, breaking up tomatoes with back of spoon and stirring to scrape up any brown bits from bottom of pan [deglaze].

4. Stir in rice, salt and pepper; reduce heat to low. Add chicken; simmer gently, stirring often, for 20 minutes. Gently stir in peas and sausage.

5. Meanwhile, peel and devein shrimp. Scrub mussels under running water. With shears, trim off beards. Discard any mussels with cracked shells or ones that do not close when tapped.

6. Nestle shrimp and mussels in rice until almost covered; cook for 7-10 minutes or until rice is tender, shrimp are pink and mussels are open. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Garnish with onions and lemon.

Test Kitchen tip: you can use clams instead of mussels, omit the seafood altogether and double up the chicken, or replace chorizo with any spicy sausage.

To make a fluffier paella with parboiled long-grain rice: cook, covered adding 1/2 cup more stock near end of cooking to prevent sticking. Garnish with trimmed fresh artichoke brushed with lemon juice to prevent browning.

Canadian Living Test Kitchen.

[paella pans were available from Cdn Living as stock item #1687, $54.95Cdn [Nov 94] by calling 905-847-6205]

[nutrition info not avail in magazine]

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