PAELLA PARTY

SIMPLE SEAFOOD and SAUSAGE PAELLA

12 ounces firm chorizo or other cooked sausages

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion (8 oz.) peeled and chopped

1 red bell pepper (8 oz.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded and diced (1/4 inch)

2 cups arborio or other short-grained white rice

1 cup dry white wine

1 quart fat-skimmed chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoons ground dried turmeric

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces boned, skinned firm white-fleshed fish, such as halibut

1 pound shelled, deveined shrimp (26 to 30 per lb.), tail left on

8 ounces mussels in shells

1/4 cup silvered green onion (including green tops)

Lemon wedges

In a 15 - inch paella pan or 12 - inch frying pan (with at least 2 - 1/4 - inch tall sides) over high heat, add sausages and turn occasionally until browned on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes total, With tong, transfer to a broad.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add olive oil to pan; when hot, add onion, bell pepper and garlic, stir often until onion is limp, 4 to 5 minutes. Add rice and stir until it begins to turn opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in wine, chicken broth, paprika, turmeric and saffron. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring once or twice, until rice is almost tender to bite, 15 to 18 minuted. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, rinse and drain fish and shrimp; cut fish into 1 - inch pieces. Pull beards off mussels and scrub mussels; discard any gaping ones that don't close when you tap their shell. Cut sausage diagonally into 1/2 - inch thick slices.

Gently stir in fish, shrimp and sausages into rice mixture; arrange mussels on top. Cover pan with foil or lid and cook until rice is tender to bite, fish and shrimp are opaque but still moist-looking in center of thickest part (cut to test), and mussels shells have open, 7 to 8 minutes.

Sprinkle evenly with green onions, Garish with lemon wedges. Serve from pan, adding juice from lemon wedges and more salt and pepper to taste.

YIELDS: about 6 servings

PASTA PAELLA

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces dried angel hair pasta

1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 - 1/2 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

1 can (14 - 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes

1 package (8 oz.) frozen artichokes hearts, thawed

1 dozen small calms in shell, suitable for steaming (about 1 lb. optional) scrubbed

8 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp (21 to 30 per lb.), rinsed

8 ounces skinned halibut, rinsed and cut into 1/2 - inch chucks

1 cup frozen petite peas

salt

lemon wedges

Pour olive oil into an 11 - 12 - inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Break pasta into 3 to 4 inch lengths and drop into oil; stir often until golden, 6 to 8 minutes. Add onion, garlic and turmeric; stir until onion is limp, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in broth and tomatoes, including juice; cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Spread mixture level. Evenly distribute artichoke hearts and clams, if using, over pasta. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. Evenly distribute shrimp, fish and peas over pasta. Cover and cook until clams have opened and fish is barely opaque in center of thickest part (cut to test), 5 to 8 minutes longer.

Uncover and cook until pasta has absorbed most of the liquid and is beginning to brown on the bottom, 2 to 4 minutes. Add salt to taste. Garnish with lemon wedges to squeeze over seafood. Serve from pan.

YIELDS: 4 serving