Try Karel's perfect paella and sangria pairing for your next summer fiesta!

PAELLA

Ingredients:

2 boxes yellow rice

3 large boxes chicken broth, divided

1 12 ounce jar roasted peppers, rinsed and cut into strips

1 2 ½ ounce jar capers, rinsed

6 cloves minced garlic, divided

1 stick unsalted butter plus 4 tablespoons butter for rice, divided

3 bay leaves

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 tablespoon chopped thyme plus more for mussels and clams

1 cup white wine

1 cup frozen sweet peas

1 small jar pitted olives (green, black or both)

4 cooked chicken thighs

2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 Florida lobster tail per person

2 dozen Cherry Stone clams

2 pounds mussels

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Cooked kielbasa or chorizo sausage

Preheat oven to 375°. If possible, prepare as much as you can of this the day before. Cook yellow rice in chicken broth with 4 tablespoons of butter and 2 cloves of minced garlic, bay leaves, and thyme until al dente. When rice is cool, remove and discard bay leaves and then add roasted peppers, capers, sweet peas and olives. On the day of serving, lightly cook shrimp and lobster in butter (1 minute on each side and slightly under cooked). Set aside. One hour prior to serving, arrange partially cooked shrimp, chicken, lobster and cooked sausage into rice mixture in a paella pan. Mix 2 cloves minced garlic with 1 stick of melted butter and pour over entire paella. Cover with foil and place in 375° oven until warmed through (approximately one hour). Meanwhile, in a large pot, place 2 tablespoons olive oil and remaining minced garlic for one minute. Then add 1 cup white wine and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add 1 box chicken broth, 1 bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes and 1 bunch of thyme. Add cleaned mussels and clams to pot. Cover and cook until mussels and clams open. Discard bay leaf and any unopened mussels or clams. Remove hot paella pan from oven and arrange mussels and clams (in their shells) on top of paella. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with sangria and hot bread.

SIMPLY SEDUCTIVE SANGRIA

1 gallon bottle REAL sangria

1 cup vodka

2 cups lemon-lime soda

Your choice of any or all of the following:

Maraschino cherries

Thinly sliced orange rounds

Thinly sliced lemon rounds

Pear and or apple slices

Strawberries

Grapes

**Combine all liquid ingredients and if possible, freeze the fruit prior to adding to sangria.

Spoon fruit into each individual wine glass and pierce 2-3 Maraschino cherries with a cinnamon stick for garnish.