Emeril's Paellaya

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds) cut into 8 pieces, bone in
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 6 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons minced shallots
• 1 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1-inch slices
• 3 cups uncooked long grain white rice
• 1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 9 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons Essence
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
• 6 cups chicken stock
• 36 scrubbed littleneck clams
• 36 scrubbed and debeared mussels
• 18 medium shrimp in their shell (about 3/4 pound

Directions

Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large stock pot over high heat. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, for about 4 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, shallots, sausage, and rice and stir fry for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, hot pepper sauce, bay leaves, Essence, parsley and saffron and simmer for 1 minute. Add the stock, stir well and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the clams, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mussels and shrimp, cover and cook for 3 minutes. Discard any shells that do not open.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.