Culinary Institute of America



Paella Valencia

Yield: 10 servings

•   10 game hen legs, skinless
•   2 teaspoons olive oil
•   3½ ounces onion, diced
•   2 teaspoons garlic, minced
•   10 ounces assorted bell peppers, diced
•   1½ ounces jalapeños, seeded, minced
•   5 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
•   ¼ teaspoon saffron threads
•   18 ounces long-grain white rice
•   2½ pints chicken stock
•   20 clams, scrubbed
•   20 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
•   10 shrimp, peeled, deveined
•   10 ounces fresh or frozen peas

Roast the game hen legs in a 350°F oven until medium-rare. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are browned. Add the bell peppers and jalapeños. Cook until tender. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to release their juices. Add the saffron and rice. Sauté briefly, then add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cover and place in a 350°F oven for 12 minutes. Add the hen legs, clams, mussels, shrimp, and peas. Cover and continue cooking paella until the clams and mussels are opened and the hen legs and rice are cooked, about 8 minutes. Keep warm.

For each serving, place about 7 ounces of the rice mixture in a large soup plate and top with 1 hen leg, 2 clams, 2 mussels and 1 shrimp.