Filipino Food: Pinoy Paella or Arroz Valenciana

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp olive oil
1 c sliced chorizo
1.5 kg chicken pieces, cut to bite size and marinated in soy sauce and calamansi (or lemon)
1 kilo large shrimps, marinated in salt and calamansi (or lemon)
1 kilo mussles (soaked in water, with fibrous parts removed)
2 heads garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 medium very ripe tomatoes, chopped finely
1 Tbsp sweet paprika
6 bay leaves
achuete (soaked in several tablespoons of oil to color, or saffron)
2.5 c sticky rice (soaked in water for several hours)
1x400g can coconut milk
1c chicken stock
2 Tbsp fish sauce
salt and pepper
2 large red pepper, sliced
1 c canned green peas
hardboiled eggs, sliced
Sliced pitted black and green olives

Heat the oil in a deep pot and fry the chorizo until brown. Set aside.

In the same oil, stir fry shrimps. Once pink, remove from oil and set aside.

In the same oil, brown the chicken. Remove and set aside.

In the same oil, sauté garlic and onion until slightly browned . Add mussels. Once the mussels are open and cooked through, remove and set aside. Try not to remove the garlic and onion.

In the same oil, add the chopped tomatoes, paprika and bay leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chicken pieces. Add green peas and bell peppers. Saute. Drain the sticky rice and add into the pot. Stir until the grains are well coated in the sauce. Add the coconut milk and stock. Add achuete oil. Mix well. Season with fish sauce and pepper to taste. Add salt if desired. Adjust heat to medium and keep on stirring from time to time to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Wait till rice has absorbed almost all the liquid. Add the chorizo slices, shrimps and mussels. Taste and adjust seasoning. Wait till rice is cooked through completely, still continually stirring.

Serve garnished with sliced hardboiled eggs and sliced black and green olives.