PAELLA

    A saffron-colored dish from Spain, allowing for much
    improvisation in the ingredients.

              Pinch of saffron
      4 cups  chicken broth    
   4-5 pound  chicken, in 8 pieces
              Salt
              Freshly ground pepper          
      4 Tbsp  olive oil 
       1 tsp  oregano, crumbled
   12 slices  spicy Italian or Spanish sausage, thinly sliced
       1 cup  chopped onion 
    2 cloves  garlic, sliced 
      4 Tbsp  butter 
      2 cups  rice
     1 pound  shrimp, cooked and shelled 
 1 1/2 dozen  clams in the shell 
       1 pkg  frozen tiny peas, or 1 1/2 cups fresh

Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C).  Put the saffron to soak in 
2 tablespoons of the chicken broth.  Rinse the chicken, pat it dry, 
and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.  Heat the olive oil 
in a large pot, add the chicken, and brown well on all sides.  
Add 4 tablespoons water and the oregano.  Cover and cook over low 
heat for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken and set aside.  Lightly brown the sausage slices; 
remove and set aside.  Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook, 
stirring, for 5 minutes.  Melt the butter in the pan and stir in 
the rice, saffron, and about a teaspoon of salt, cooking for 5 
minutes.  

Add the remaining chicken broth, bring to a boil, cover, and simmer 
20 minutes.  

In a shallow 4-quart casserole, arrange the rice, chicken, shrimp, 
sausage, and clams so that some of each shows on the top.  Heat in 
the oven until the clams open, about 15-20 minutes.  

Meanwhile either pour boiling water over frozen peas or blanch fresh 
peas 2 minutes.  Scatter over the casserole and serve.    


Yield: 8 servings


   some paella improvisations:

   A.  2 cups green and red peppers, cut in strips and added 
       when teh clams are added.

   B.  1 cup black olives, pitted, scattered over the top for 
       the last 5 minutes in the oven.

   C.  1 package artichoke hearts, cooked, and added at the 
       last minute or so of cooking.

   D.  1 cup ham in strips, added during the last 5 minutes 
       of cooking.



source: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook