Valencian Rice (Arroz a La Valenciana) Recipe

Directions:

1. 1) Place the whole chicken in a pot. Pour enough water into the pot to barely cover the chicken. Add a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper and a pinch of poultry seasoning (optional).
2. 2) Bring water to a boil, cover and cook at medium/low heat for about one hour. Turn the chicken over about half way through to insure even cooking. Keep an eye on it so that it will not dry out and burn. However, the level of the water at the end should be fairly low, so don’t add a lot of water through the cooking process. The tighter your lid fits on the pot, the less water you will need to replace. Remove from heat and allow to cool until it can be handled comfortably.
3. 3) Debone the chicken setting all the bones and skin aside in a bowl. Do not discard the broth from the chicken.
4. 4) In a very large frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes, bell pepper strips, chopped onions (both) and 1 teaspoon of salt. When white onions look transparent, add the tomato paste, capers and olives and stir. Add the sausage slices, shrimp, oysters, the de-boned chicken meat and whatever broth you had left. Now is also the time to add the wine or beer if you are using any.
5. 5) Continue to stir over medium/low heat until the mixture becomes almost dry (broth has evaporated and been absorbed). Now add the cooked rice a little at a time while stirring. Finally, add the early peas and stir gently to blend them inches.
6. 6) Serve hot accompanied by a large glass of Spanish Sangría poured over some ice, an orange wedge and a wedge of pineapple.