INGREDIENTS:

1 bay leaf
2 quarts of water
-black pepper to taste
1/4 cup of dry sherry
1/2 pound dried chick peas, rinsed
-in cold water, picked over, and left
-in water to cover overnight, or 4 cups
-of canned chick peas, drained
-one 4 ounce piece of salt
-pork rind removed
1 large onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
1 large green bell pepper,
-seeded and finely chopped
1/4 pound smoked slab bacon,
-rind removed and finely diced
1 chorizo or other spicy sausage, diced
1-1/2 teaspoons salt freshly ground
2 cups of raw long grain white rice
1 cup of drained and chopped canned
-whole tomatoes or prepared
-tomato sauce

Directions:

If using dried chick-peas, place the soaked
peas in a large stockpot with the water and
bay leaf and simmer, covered, over low heat
2-1/2 hours, or until tender.

Now drain, reserve the cooking liquid, and
discard the bay leaf. There should be about
3 cups of liquid; if necessary, add some of
the water to make that amound.

If using cooked or canned chick peas, use
4 cups of water in place of the reserved
cooking liquid.

In a large, heavy casserole, cook the salt
pork, stirring, over the low heat for 4 to
5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, the bell
pepper, chorizo, and bacon, and cook over
low heat until the onions are tender, 8 to
10 minutes.

Next add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, sherry,
and cook for 5 minutes. Add rice, reserved
cooking liquid, and chick-peas, and stir to
blend.

Cook over medium high heat till most of the
liquid has been absorbed and small craters
appear over the top of the rice, for 20 to
25 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, stir the rice with
a fork, cover, and cook until the rice is
tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the salt
pork and serve.

Serves 8 People

INGREDIENTS:

1 bay leaf
1/4 cup of pure Spanish olive oil
4 to 6 medium size chorizos
-(5 to 6 inches), cut into 1/4 inch
-rounds
1 medium size onion, finely chopped
1 medium size green bell pepper,
-seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 cup of drained and chopped
-canned whole tomatoes
1/2 a cup of dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon powdered saffron or
-3 to 4 saffron threads, crushed
2 teaspoons salt or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black
-pepper
2 cups of long grain white rice
3 cups of water

On low heat in a medium size saucepan
heat the oil until fragrant, then cook
the chorizo, onion, bell pepper, with
the garlic, stirring, until vegetables
are tender, for about 6 to 8 minutes.

Cook tomatoes, sherry and the bay leaf
for at least 10 minutes. Raise the heat
to high.

Add saffron, pepper, salt, rice and
water, and cook until all of the water
has been absorbed and small the craters
appear over the top of the rice, for 15
to 20 minutes.

Finally, reduce the heat to low, cover
and simmer, stirring several times with
a fork, till the rice is dry and fluffy
for about 10 to 15 minutes.

Finally, transfer the rice to a serving
the platter and serve it hot or warm.

Serves 6 People