If the number of times we have had to fill the tank for our barbecue is anything to go by, we’ve been having one gorgeous stretch of summer.

My husband and I are big fans of outdoor grilling at any time but this season has been an especially great one for cooking and dining on the deck.

By now though I’ve gone through my repertoire of barbecue recipes at least two or three times. Steak, burgers, chicken, ribs, veggies, salmon, pork, you name it, we have grilled it.

But I do like to change things up now and then, especially if friends are coming over for a meal.

Paella is one of my go-to late-season crowd pleasers. This Spanish-style showstopper is a one-pot wonder of rice, fragrant vegetables and an assortment of seafood and grilled meats.

While you can certainly make paella indoors, I think it tastes best if cooked — and eaten —outside in the fresh air.

PAELLA IN THE WOODS

Equipment:

Marinate chicken thighs. Toss with first amount of garlic, salt and pepper; drizzle with enough olive oil and lemon juice to coat meat. Cover; set aside in fridge for at least an hour.

Prepare shellfish by peeling outer shells from shrimp (leave the tails on; they look pretty and make a nice handle.) Rinse and remove any beards from mussels; check and discard any that do not close tightly when tapped. Set aside in the fridge.

Prepare vegetables: Seed and finely dice peppers and onions, chop garlic and tomatoes. Set aside in the fridge.

Preheat outdoor grill.

Once the grill is ready, adjust heat to medium-high; grill sausage and chicken thighs. Be sure to poke sausage casings with the point of a sharp knife to release any excess fat. When meats are cooked through, remove to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm.

Turn up grill heat to high and place cast-iron skillet on grates to preheat. Drizzle in enough olive oil to coat bottom of pan.

Once pan is hot, sauté peppers, onions and garlic (known as the soffrito) until fragrant, but still tender-crisp.

If pan seems dry, dribble in more olive oil. (Don’t skimp on the olive oil; it’s key to keeping the rice from sticking too much later and it also helps to develop the very tasty caramelized crunch around the paella’s edges and bottom, which is known as soccarat.)

Stir in smoked paprika, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and then the rice. Stir the rice around in the hot oil and vegetables until it is well coated and allow the grains of rice to toast a bit in the pan.

Stir in chopped tomatoes, cook until tomatoes soften and release their juice; keep stirring and cooking until this liquid is reduced by about half.

Then, add 250 ml (1 cup) chicken stock (reserve remaining quarter cup to add later, if needed) and the infusion of saffron threads and water. Stir well. Scatter with green peas, if using.

Cover pan tightly with foil, close lid and turn heat down to low. Let rice and vegetables steam together for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice grilled sausage links into chunks and cut chicken thighs in half.

Once rice has cooked for about 10 minutes, carefully lift foil and have a peek inside but do not stir. The rice should have absorbed most of the cooking liquid; if not, replace foil, close grill and let pan steam for another five minutes or so.

Take out a few grains with the tip of a spoon and taste; they should be nearly al dente, or still quite firm and slightly under-done but not overly hard and crunchy.

If the rice still seems a long way from being cooked but the pan seems dry, sprinkle remaining stock over the pan, replace foil, and cook another five to 10 minutes. Then check rice for doneness again. (The amount of moisture the rice requires will vary depending on the juiciness of your tomatoes, brands of rice, grill heat, etc.)

Once the rice is cooked to al dente, remove foil; set aside. Nestle the raw shrimp and mussels (in their shells) into the hot rice. Follow with the chunks of cooked chicken and sausage, along with any cooking juices that have collected on the plate.

Replace foil tightly over the pan, crank up the grill’s heat to medium-high or high (you want the grill quite hot), close lid on grill and let paella cook for five to 10 minutes, just until the mussels have steamed open and the shrimp have turned pink.

Remove pan from the heat and set in the middle of the table. Tie a thick tea towel or pretty oven mitt around the pan’s handle to remind people that the pan is extremely hot.

Garnish with lemon wedges and a scattering of freshly chopped parsley and invite everyone to help themselves.