St. Louis-Style Spareribs

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• ½ lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled, tails on
• ½ lb. mussels, cleaned properly
• ½ lb. calamari rings
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves fresh garlic
• 3 Roma tomatoes, very finely diced (or 8 oz. tomato sauce)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. paprika, sweet or smoked
• 1 pinch saffron salt
• salt and pepper, to taste
• ¼ cup white wine
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped, divided
• 2 cup Spanish rice
• 5 cup chicken broth
• ½ cup frozen peas
• lemon wedges, for garnish

Directions

1. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic and cook until translucent. Add chopped tomato, bay leaf, paprika, saffron, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes. Add white wine and cook for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt if needed.
2. Add chicken pieces, 2 tbsp. of chopped parsley and rice to the skillet. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Pour the broth slowly all around the pan and “jiggle” the pan to get the rice into an even layer. (DO NOT stir the mixture going forward.)
4. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Give the pan a gentle shake, back and forth, just once or twice during cooking. Note: We don’t stir the rice so that a crispy crust, called socarrat, forms at the bottom.
5. Cook for about 15-18 minutes uncovered, then, nestle the shrimp, mussels, and calamari into the mixture. Sprinkle peas on top and continue to cook (without stirring) for about 5 more minutes. Watch for most of the liquid to be absorbed and the rice at the top to be nearly tender. (If the liquid is absorbed before rice is done cooking, add ¼ cup of broth or water and continue cooking without stirring until the rice is done.)
6. Remove pan from heat and cover with lid or foil. Place a kitchen towel over the lid and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
7. Garnish with fresh lemon slices and parsley and serve.