3 c chicken stock
¼ tsp saffron threads
4 chicken thighs, skinned
¼ c olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
chorizo (hot Spanish sausage; hot Italian will do)
ham (optional)
salt
pepper
2½ c long grain rice
1 bay leaf
frozen baby peas
6 medium shrimps, peeled, tail on
scallops, lobster, clams (optional)
lemon slices
lemon thyme (optional)

1. Drop saffron threads into stock pot. (Use good quality saffron - Spanish is best. The cheapest in Toronto is available at Indian food stores - we pay $16.00 -$18.00 for a little box the size of a audio cassette container - expensive yes, but it lasts for ages.) Set stock aside for later.
   
   
2. Heat oil in a large skillet that can go into the oven as well. Add chicken and saute til brown. Remove chicken; set aside for later.
   
   
3. Saute onion and garlic til slightly caramelized.
   
   
4. Cut sausage and ham into bite size pieces. Put ham and sausage in with onions and stir around. Add salt and pepper and stir around a little more.
   
   
5. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. (A note about the rice: we use long grain rice because we prefer that our paella isn't soupy. Many paellas call for short grain arborio rice.)
   
   
6. Add saffroned chicken stock to skillet. Boil on stove 5 to 10 minutes. Place chicken on top of rice and cover skillet and put in 350F oven 20 minutes. (Traditionally, paella pans are not covered but we like to. We use a large pizza pan inverted.)
   
   
7. Add peas and shrimp (and any other seafood you want- cut seafood into smallish pieces) to skillet, cover, and cook about 3 minutes in oven. (This is if you really care about seafood and peas being cooked perfectly - we do! If you don't care, put all the stuff in at the same time as the chicken.)
   
   
8. Take pan out of oven. Leave covered for 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with lemon and a bit of lemon thyme if you have it.
   
   

Serve with a dry champagne type wine.