Arroz Con Pollo Chicken With Rice By Three Guys From Miami Recipes

ARROZ CON POLLO -- CHICKEN WITH RICE, BY THREE GUYS FROM MIAMI

Steps:

• 4 strips bacon 8 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on To taste salt, pepper, and cumin for chicken 1/2 cup olive oil for frying 1 large onion, chopped 5 cachucha peppers, chopped 4 cloves garlic, mashed 1 12-ounce bottle beer 3 and 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce 1/2 teaspoon Bijol Powder 1 bay leaf 2 teaspoons oregano 2 teaspoons cumin, ground 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 3 1/2 cups parboiled rice 1/2 cup frozen green baby peas Sauté the bacon in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to low and let the fat render out of the bacon -- about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, season the chicken lightly with salt, pepper and a little cumin. Once the fat is released, remove the bacon, increase temperature to medium-high and add the chicken to the hot bacon fat. Remove the chicken when it is browned on both sides. Add a little olive oil to the same pan you fried the chicken in, and sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the mashed garlic and cook an additional minute or two, stirring frequently. Take the chicken broth and beer and pour into a large covered pot. Add the browned chicken pieces, cooked onions and green pepper, tomato sauce, Bijol, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper. And hey, why let all that delicious bacon go to waste? Chop it up and toss it in! Bring everything to a rolling boil, reduce heat, cover and cook on low for 15 minutes. Add the rice. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. When the rice has absorbed some of the liquid, cover and simmer on low for about 30-45 minutes, or until the rice is fully cooked and not soupy. Add the frozen peas during the last five minutes of cooking only. For a dinner, serve the whole chicken pieces with the rice. For a party, you may remove the chicken, skin, de-bone and break it into bite-size chunks. However, DO NOT try to substitute any boneless, skinless chicken in this recipe -- unless you enjoy serving a disaster!

CHICKEN WITH RICE (ARROZ CON POLLO)

Steps:

• In a paella pan or wide, shallow pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the Achiote Oil over medium-high heat until the oil is rippling. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add as many pieces skin side down to the pan as fit without touching. Cook, turning as necessary, until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove the pieces as they are done and set aside. Adjust the heat under the pan, especially after you start removing chicken, so the chicken browns without the oil darkening.
• When all the chicken is removed from the pan, add the Sofrito and alcaparrado. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Raise the heat to high and boil until most of the water is evaporated from the Sofrito. Add the cumin and cloves.
• Stir in the rice until coated with oil. Return the chicken to the pan, pour in enough broth to cover the rice by the width of 2 fingers (about 1-inch), and bring to a boil. Cook over high heat until the level of liquid reaches the rice. Stir gently and reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook until the liquid is absorbed, the chicken is cooked through, and the rice is tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork. The arroz con pollo can be brought to the table right in the pan or transferred to a large serving platter. Either way, garnish with the red pepper before serving.
• Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat just until the seeds give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don't overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil will turn a nasty green. Once they're sizzling, remove the pan from the heat and let stand until the sizzling stops. Strain and reserve in a jar with a tight-fitting lid at room temperature for up to 4 days.
• Chop the onion and Cubanelle or Italian peppers in the work bowl of a food processor until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients 1 at a time and process until smooth. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir chicken pieces until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Cook and stir onion, green bell pepper, minced garlic, and whole garlic cloves in the same Dutch oven until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to the onion mixture. Add tomatoes, rice, salt, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover all the ingredients.
• Bake chicken-rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Stir peas, olives, raisins, and pimento peppers into the chicken-rice mixture. Bake until warmed through, an additional 15 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Prepare the adobo by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl, or blending in a small food processor, pilón or mortar and pestle.
• Pat the chicken dry, then place in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour prepared adobo over chicken. Toss well to combine, then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, or seal the bag, and let the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate for several hours or overnight to make the chicken extra tender and flavorful.
• Prepare the sofrito: In a large food processor or blender, blend the peppers and garlic until smooth. Add the onion and blend until smooth, then add the culantro and cilantro and blend until smooth. (The preparation may produce more sofrito than needed for this recipe, but you can store additional sofrito in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
• Add the rice to a medium bowl, then rinse with several rounds of cool water, pouring through a fine-mesh strainer until water runs out clear.
• Once chicken is marinated, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. When the oil is simmering, working in batches if necessary, add chicken in one layer and brown for 7 to 10 minutes per batch, turning several times to evenly brown.
• Meanwhile, bring chicken broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer until ready to use.
• Add sofrito, bay leaves and annatto or paprika to pot with chicken and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté until liquid is mostly evaporated and sofrito thickens to a paste, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until the sauce darkens. Add the rinsed rice, olives and capers (if using), and salt and pepper, and fold in to ensure that the rice is fully coated and the chicken is evenly distributed.
• Pour in hot stock, then simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring only 2 to 3 times and shaking the pot every few minutes to keep rice level. (The liquid surrounding the rice will lower by about 1 inch.) Watch the rice very closely: The window between just right and overcooked is small, and difficult to predict, but you'll become an expert at this over time.
• Once you start to spot lots of little bubbles on the surface but see no more pronounced liquid on top, top with the lid, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pot a few times. Once liquid is almost entirely evaporated, sprinkle thawed peas on top.
• Working directly in the pot, using 2 forks, pull apart chicken thighs until shredded. Gently fluff the rice, bringing grains from the bottom to the top. Return the lid and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with lime wedges, and serve with salted avocado and tomato slices (or a simple green salad). The dish keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the chicken in an ovensafe baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken and evenly coat. Bake for 15 minutes until browned but not cooked all the way through (it will finish cooking with the rice).
• Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the rice is just lightly browned and the vegetables are starting to soften, about 2 minutes more. Make sure the garlic does not brown.
• Add the tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon and 3 cups water. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken to the rice in an even layer, skin-side up and not overlapping. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO (RICE WITH CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs to the Dutch oven and cook until browned on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks and thighs.
• Add the onions and peppers to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the paprika, cumin, saffron and bay leaves, stirring until incorporated. Next, add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, beer, rice and 1 teaspoon salt; mix well. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, add the peas and pimientos, then cover and return to the oven until the rice is completely tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO (CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• Using paper towels, pat chicken dry. Season chicken with Adobo. Heat oil in caldero, or large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook chicken, in batches, until brown on all sides, 7-10 minutes; set aside.
• Stir onions, peppers and garlic into pot; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice, bouillon and Sazon to pot; cook, stirring constantly, until rice is completely coated in oil mixture, about 1 minute.
• Stir in 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add alcaparrado and chicken (skin-side up) to pot. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• To serve, using fork, fluff rice; garnish with pimiento strips and peas.