1 large pinch saffron threads
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 hot smoked sausages (I use Beef Hot Links), cut on a diagonal into large chunks; you can substitute your favorite spicy pork sausage)
3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into large chunks
1 medium red onion, cut in quarters
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken stock (I use Swanson 99%; if you use homemade, you'll need to add salt)
1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice
18 pitted black jumbo olives (use canned olives, because you don't want a strong flavor)
18 large (21-25 size) shrimp, peeled and deveined
Lots of black pepper to taste
Soak the saffron in 1 cup hot water for 15 minutes. Then, put on an apron -- the first steps in this cooking are messy.
In a 4- or 6-quart stockpot, heat the olive oil. Add sausage chunks, and brown all over. Using long tongs, remove sausage from pan into a small bowl. Add chicken, brown all over and remove from pan into another small bowl. The pan will be black and gunky, but don't worry -- this will all dissolve into the finished dish.
Add onion, green and red peppers, and sauté quickly until the onion is just translucent, about 2 minutes. Return the sausage to the pan, add the saffron water with saffron, wine and 1-1/2 cups of the stock.
When the liquid boils, turn down to low. Add the rice, stir once, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan, along with the olives.
Now, don't stir for a while. Go away, drink some wine, make a salad.
Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the rice is nearly cooked, about 10 minutes or more. There should still be liquid in the rice, but not much. Run a spatula along the bottom of the pan to loosen any stuck bits of rice. Add the shrimp, making sure to stuff them down into the rice. Season with lots of black pepper.
From this point, you may have to use your spatula along the bottom of the pan every now and then to keep the rice from sticking, and if it is cooking too fast, add the remaining 1/2 cup chicken stock. Continue cooking until the shrimp are done, approximately 5 minutes or so. Serve hot.