Ingredients:

Serves 6

12 medium raw shrimps in shells
6 small, hard-shell clams
6 mussels
3 calamari (whole squid), cut into pieces
1-1/2 to 2 lb. chicken, cut into 12 serving pieces
2 oz. lean boneless pork, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 tsp. salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2-cup olive oil
1/2-cup finely chopped onions
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic
1 medium sweet red pepper and 1 green, seeded, de-ribbed and cut into strips 1-1/2 inches long and 1/4-inch wide
1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
3 cups raw, medium grain, regular-milled rice or imported short-grain rice
1/4-tsp. ground saffron or saffron threads pulverized with a mortar and pestle or the back of a spoon
6 cups boiling water
1/2-cup fresh peas (1/2-lb.) or 1/2-cup thoroughly defrosted frozen peas
8 or 10 red pimiento strips 1-inch long, 1/2-inch wide
2 lemons each cut lengthwise into 6 wedges

Note: In Spain, paella may be simple or elaborate. Vary the combination of chicken, meats and shellfish to suit your taste. For example, you may omit the lobster altogether or replace it with six or eight additional shrimp. Clams and mussels may be used interchangeably. Add rabbit or let it replace the chicken. Cubed ham, veal or beef might be used instead of the pork or the sausage. Squid — even snails — are appropriate. Cooked green string beans or artichoke hearts may be added, or substituted for peas.

Directions:

1. Shell shrimp, leaving tails intact. With a small, sharp knife, devein shrimp by making a shallow incision down their backs and lifting out the intestinal vein with the point of the knife.
   
2. Scrub clams and mussels thoroughly with a stiff brush or soap-less, steel-mesh scouring pad under cold running water. Remove black, ropelike tufts from mussels. Set shrimp, clams and mussels aside on separate plates.
   
3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grindings of pepper.
   
4. In a heavy, 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it. Add chicken, skin-side down, and brown it well, turning pieces with tongs and regulating heat so they color evenly without burning. As the pieces become a rich golden brown, remove them to a plate.
   
5. To make the sofrito, discard all fat remaining in skillet and in its place add remaining 1/4-cup olive oil. Heat until a light haze forms above it, add pork and brown it quickly on all sides over high heat. Add onions, garlic, pepper strips and tomato. Stirring constantly, cook briskly until most liquid in pan evaporates and mixture is thick enough to hold its shape lightly in a spoon. Set sofrito aside.
   
6. About a half hour before you plan to serve paella, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a 14-inch paella pan or a skillet or casserole at least 14 inches in diameter and 2 inches deep, combine sofrito, rice, the remaining teaspoon of salt and saffron. Pour in boiling water and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over high heat. Remove pan from heat immediately. (Taste liquid for seasoning and add more salt if necessary.)
   
7. Arrange chicken, shrimp, clams and mussels on top of rice and scatter peas at random over the whole. Set pan on the floor of the oven and bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice and the grains are tender but not too soft. Note: At no point should the paella be stirred after it goes in the oven.
   
8. When paella is done, remove from oven and drape a kitchen towel loosely over the top. Let it rest for five to eight minutes. Garnish with lemons and serve at the table directly from the pan.

Outdoor cooking instructions:

In Spain, paella is often made out-of-doors on wood fires, but a large charcoal grill serves as well. Following the recipe above, prepare seafood, chicken, sausages and sofrito at the kitchen stove and have other ingredients ready for the final assembly outside:

1. About an hour and a half before you plan to serve paella, light a 2- to 3-inch- layer of coals in a charcoal broiler and let them burn until white ash appears on the surface. This may take as long as an hour. Adjust grill to place it 3 inches above the coals. If your grill is not absolutely flat on top or tends to tilt, remove it and use a rack from the oven large enough for its four corners to rest on the rim of the grill.
   
2. In a 14-inch paella pan, skillet or flameproof baking dish 14 inches in diameter and 2-2 1/2 inches deep, combine sofrito, rice, a teaspoon of salt and saffron. Place pan on grill, pour in boiling water and stir ingredients thoroughly, spreading rice evenly over the surface of pan. Quickly arrange chicken, sausage and seafood on top, making sure that clams and mussels are turned with their hinges downward. Scatter peas over the top and let paella cook briskly, uncovered and undisturbed, for 15-18 minutes or until all liquid has been absorbed by the rice. Note: At no point after the paella has come to a boil should it be stirred.
   
3. When it is done, remove paella from grill and drape a kitchen towel or a large piece of aluminum foil over the top of the pan. Let paella rest for 5-8 minutes, then remove the towel or foil, garnish with lemons and serve directly from the pan. Almost always, because of the intense heat generated by the charcoal, the rice will form a light brown crust on the bottom of the pan. The Spanish prefer it this way and generally serve the crust with the paella. However, should the crust char, it is best to leave it clinging to the pan and not serve it with the rest of the rice.