Seafood Paella "Paella Cubana"

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken, cut into 6-8 pieces (1.4 kg)
• 450 g of peeled and deveined medium-sized raw shrimp
• 225 g of scallops
• Tail meat from 5 lobsters (reserve the shells for serving)
• 1 cup diced ham
• 1 cup chorizo ​​or pepperoni sausage, cut into 1 cm pieces
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup olive oil plus 2 tablespoons for frying seafood
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1 large onion, diced
• 5 crushed cloves of garlic
• 1 cup frozen green peas (optional)
• 3 cups Valencia rice
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• A pinch of Cuban Bijol powder
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced ​​into rings, for garnish
• 1 cup steamed mussels in shells for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Brown the ham and chorizo. Remove from the pan.
   
   Culinary advice: This will render the fat from the chorizo, and the oil will be flavored. Bijol powder is added for color and consists of a dry mixture of corn flour, annatto (a dye obtained from the seeds of the annatto tree), ground cumin, and mace.
   
   Add the onion, red pepper and garlic to the pan and sauté until soft but not overcooked.
   
   Add the chicken pieces and fry for about 15 minutes until browned but not fully cooked.
2. Preheat oven to 180°C.
   
   In a large saucepan, combine the rice, broth, wine, and mussels. Add salt and Bijol powder for flavor. Stir. Increase the heat, bring to a boil, and cover the pan with a lid.
   
   Add the chicken, ham, and chorizo. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the rice is cooked through. (You may need to add a little more chicken broth if the mixture is too dry.)
3. Fry the shrimp, scallops, and lobster tail meat separately in butter. Transfer, cover, and keep warm to prevent them from drying out.
4. At the last minute, add the seafood to the rice mixture. Transfer to a shallow paella pan for serving. Top with peas and red pepper. Bake in the oven for about 5 minutes to heat through. Be careful not to overcook. Serve garnished with mussels, parsley, and lobster shells.