Grilled paella PreP: 35 minutes Chill: overnight Grill: 40 minutes Stand: 10 minutes

1 pound mussels or clams in shells (optional)

1 cup coarse salt (optional)

1 pound fresh or frozen peeled and deveined shrimp, thawed*

1 cup frozen peas or baby lima beans

1 tablespoon snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme

6 bone-in chicken thighs Salt and ground black pepper

8 ounces boneless pork loin, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

4 ounces cooked smoked chorizo or Polish sausage, sliced

2 slices thick-sliced bacon, chopped ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1¹⁄₃ cups chopped roma tomatoes ( 4 medium)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Pinch saffron threads or 1 teaspoon
ground turmeric

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups uncooked short grain rice

1. The day before: If using, scrub mussels in shells under cold running water. Remove beards from mussels, if present. In a large Dutch oven combine 4 quarts cold water and ¹⁄₃ cup of the coarse salt; add mussels. Soak for 15 minutes; drain and rinse. Discard water. Repeat soaking, draining, and rinsing two more times. Rinse shrimp; pat dry with paper towels.

2. In a storage container place mussels, shrimp, peas, parsley, lemon peel, and thyme.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper; place in a second storage container. In a third storage container combine pork loin, sausage, and bacon. In a fourth storage container combine sweet pepper, onion, and garlic. In a fifth storage container combine tomatoes, paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and saffron. Cover each container and chill overnight.

3. Tailgate day: Tote containers of chilled ingredients, the oil, and broth in an insulated cooler with ice packs.

4. At the tailgating site prepare a large grill
(with a cover). For a charcoal grill, place an
extra-large cast-iron skillet** on grill rack
directly over medium-hot coals; add oil to coat
evenly. Place chicken, skin sides down, in pan.
Grill about 10 minutes or until brown, turning
once halfway through grilling. Remove chicken.

5. Add pork mixture to pan; grill and stir about 5 minutes or until brown. Add sweet pepper mixture; grill and stir about 5 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften. Add uncooked rice; grill and stir until rice is light brown. Return chicken to pan; stir in tomato mixture and broth. Bring to boiling. Cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes or until rice is plump but still slightly firm. Stir in shrimp mixture. Cover and grill for 5 to 7 minutes more or until shrimp are opaque, mussels are open, and chicken is no longer pink (180°F). (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium-high. Place skillet on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.)

6. Discard any unopened mussels. Let paella stand for 10 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

* Tip: Start with 1½ pounds shrimp in shells; peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact for a more dramatic presentation.

**Tip: You may also use a roasting pan that you don’t mind getting messy or two 13½× 9½×3- inch disposable foil pans stacked together to form one pan. If using foil pans, grilling times will increase. Allow about 30 minutes for the first covered grilling time and about 10 minutes for the second covered grilling time. Must-have equipment: an insulated cooler with ice packs, a large on-site grill (with a cover), and an extra-large cast-iron skillet** Per ServinG: 454 cal., 19 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 144 mg chol., 985 mg sodium, 38 g carbo., 3 g fiber, 32 g pro.