Paella on the Grill

The traditional Spanish dish paella is easier to make than you would think. Cooking it outdoors on the grill on a summer night is a great dinner party option. Pair it with a Spanish Tempranillo red wine.
6 servings.

Ingredients

1/2 tsp saffron threads, crushed and combined with 1/4 cup hot water. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes
2 Tablespoon olive oil
2 pound boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
6 ounces cooked kielbasa or chorizo sausage, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped tomatoes, skins removed
1 Tablespoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
6 cups chicken broth
2 cups short grain rice such as Calasparra, Valencia or Arborio
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound frozen mussels, thawed
8 ounces frozen peas, thawed
Optional chopped green olives for garnish
Optional chopped Italian parsley for garnish

15 inch paella pan  (If you do not have a paella pan, this dish can be prepared in a skillet.

Instructions

Prepare and premeasure all ingredients and place in bowls. Assemble everything by the grill.

Heat grill to  medium-high heat . Place paella pan on grill. Add oil. When heated, add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned, about 5 minutes. Add chorizo and cook for several more minutes. Transfer all to plate.
Add onion and garlic to pan. Cook and stir until softened and beginning to brown, just a few minutes. Add tomatoes and paprika. Cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until tomatoes are thickened and almost pastelike.
Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan. Add chicken broth, saffron mixture and salt. Bring to boil over high heat. Add rice to pan, stirring once to evenly distribute. Cover the grill and cook without stirring until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 12 minutes. If the pan is bigger than the burner, rotate every few minutes to ensure the rice cooks evenly. Reduce heat to low. Cook, without stirring, 5 - 10 minutes more or until rice is cooked. Taste the rice to ensure it is done. If needed, add more liquid and more cooking time until it is done. When rice is cooked through, top with shrimp, mussels and peas. Turn heat to high. Cook without stirring for 2 - 4 minutes more. Edges should look dry and crust should form on the bottom of the pan. Shrimp should be cooked through. Remove pan from heat. Cover with foil and allow to rest 10 minutes before serving. If desired, garnish with sliced green olives and parsley.