Ingredients
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
- 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
- Salt
- 1 Cornish hen or half of a 2~1/2~to 3~pound chicken
- 1 small rabbit
- 8 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped, or a 14~ounce can
- diced tomatoes
- 1/2 ~pound green beans (preferably broad, flat beans), trimmed and
- halved, crosswise
- 1/2 ~pound snap or snow peas, strings removed
- One 14~ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered
- 2 tablespoons minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon paprika, preferably smoked
- 3 cups short~grain rice, such as bomba or Italian arborio rice
Preparation
Step 1
1. Put the broth in a large saucepan over medium heat. Crush the saffron between your fingers into the broth. Add the rosemary
and salt to taste. Gently simmer 20 minutes. Remove, discard rosemary and keep the broth over very low heat.
2. Meanwhile, remove the Cornish hen wing tips and the wings, discarding the tips. Separate the thigh from the drumstick,
Halve the breast lengthwise and cut the back into 2 pieces using chicken, cut into similar size pieces, 2 to 3 inches long.
Do the same to the rabbit. Sprinkle all the meat with salt.
3. Heat the oven to 400° F. Put the oil in a 17-inch-wide paella pan over two burners on high heat. Brown the chicken
quickly without cooking it all the way through. Remove to a platter. Do the same with the rabbit. Add the pepper, onion and
garlic to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook until softened. Add the tomatoes, beans, peas and artichoke hearts.
Return the heat to high and cook for 3 minutes.
4. Add the parsley, paprika and rice and stir well. Pour in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Return the chicken and rabbit to the pan and taste for salt. Boil for 5 minutes or until the rice is no longer soupy but enough liquid remains to continue cooking the rice. Stir periodically to cook evenly.
5. Transfer the pan to the oven. Cook, uncovered, until the rice is almost completely cooked but still quite firm, about 10 to 12 minutes in a gas oven, 15 to 20 minutes in an electric oven.
6. Remove the pan to a warm spot (such as on top of the stove with the burners off and cover with foil. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes. For the socarat, put the pan over high heat for a few minutes or until a nice crust forms on the bottom of the pan without burning. Serves 6.