Chinese-Style Paella
2 chicken legs and thighs, excess fat removed, chopped into 2-inch pieces, with bone in
2-1/2 cups long-grain rice
Marinade for Chicken:
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tsp rice wine or dry sherry
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cornstarch
Other Ingredients:
8 Chinese dried black mushrooms
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced
1/4 pound cooked ham, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces plus 1 tbsp minced green onion
Pinch of powdered saffron
1-1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 pound fresh halibut, cut into 1-inch cubes
8 of your favorite type of clams
8 mussels, scrubbed clean
12-16 tiger prawns, peeled, deveined, rinsed, and sprinkled with a small amount of rice wine or dry sherry
1 whole cooked crab, separated and cracked
3/4 cup frozen or fresh green peas or
12 fresh snow peas
1 tsp sesame oil
Mix marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Add chicken and marinate for 2 hours. Soak mushrooms in hot water for 10 minutes; squeeze out excess water, remove and discard stems, and leave caps whole. Place rice in a pot and add enough cold water to cover rice. Stir the rice with your hand; the water will become milky. (Washing the rice removes excess starch and prevents cooked rice from being gummy.) Pour the water out of the pot carefully. Repeat until the water runs clear. Fill pot with water to approximately 3/4 inch above rice level. Cover and place over high heat. When the water boils rapidly, reduce heat to lowest setting and simmer while preparing other ingredients.
While the rice is cooking, heat a 14-inch wok with oil, swirling to coat sides. Remove chicken from marinade and brown it on all sides. Transfer to serving platter. Reheat wok, adding a little more oil if necessary. Stir-fry the onion, mushrooms, ham, and 1-inch pieces of green onion for 3 to 4 minutes. Return chicken to wok and stir. Place the mixture on top of the cooking rice and sprinkle with saffron. Add chicken broth gradually and stir to mix well.
Evenly distribute all seafood on top, leaving clams and mussels closer to top so you can watch for them to open up. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, until clams and mussels open. Discard any that do not open. Stir in green peas or snow peas, minced green onion, and mix everything together. Drizzle with sesame oil.
Yield: 6 to 8 servings