Arroz con Pollo

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Arroz con Pollo, which translates to rice with chicken, is a classic Cuban dish. It is very similar to paella, but with chicken and veggies instead. It is a very versatile dish and can be easily customized to your liking. Some suggestions are listed in the notes and comments section below.

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ARROZ CON POLLO

 

Time: about 1.5 hours cook time

Makes about 8-12 servings


Ingredients:

2 whole chickens

3 garlic cloves

1 bitter orange

⅓ cup olive oil

1 large green pepper

1 large onion

1 can tomato sauce

2 cans pimientos

1 can green peas

1 can asparagus spears

2 tbsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

1 bay leaf

3½ cup cooking wine (vino seco)

2 cup chicken broth

2 lbs. rice

Saffron, to color (a pinch, about 10 small strands)



Prep:

  • Carve each chicken into 4-8 sections. Make a broth with the backbone and any remaining bones or skin (link to recipe here).
  • Marinade the chicken with minced garlic and the about 1/2 cup juice from the bitter orange in sealed bags for at least 6 hours refrigerated, or overnight.
  • Separate the liquid from the can of green peas and asparagus into a bowl.
  • Finely dice the onion and green pepper.
  • Blend 1 can of pimentos (with the liquid) into a paste.
  • Clean the rice by rinsing it 2-3 times.
  • Hard-boil 2-3 eggs for decoration (optional, but recommended).


Directions:

  • In a large saucepan, heat the oil on medium heat and brown the chicken pieces (about 3-5 minutes on each side).
  • Add the finely diced onion and green pepper and cook until soft.
  • Add the tomato sauce, the can of ground pimentos, juice from the cans of the green peas and asparagus, salt, pepper, bay leaf, saffron, cooking wine, broth, and water (she did not state the amount of water, but I found that it was not needed).
  • Cover the pot and allow to cook for 30 minutes on low heat.
  • Uncover and mix in the rice.
  • Lower heat to simmer and cover the pot. Allow to cook for about another 45 minutes, or until the rice grains open and become soft.
  • Mix in about half the can of green peas into the rice.
  • Decorate the top with the pimientos (sliced into strips, or diced), asparagus, rest of the green peas, and sliced hard-boiled eggs.


Notes & Comments:

  • A little saffron goes a very long way. To best utilize the saffron, it is best when dried out and ground into a powder. To do so, turn on the oven and allow to warm up. Turn it off, then place saffron strands in a small over save bowl and leave it in for about an hour. Grind it into a powder with a spoon.
  • Bitter oranges can be small, so you may need more than one, enough to yield about 1/2 cup juice. If you cannot find bitter oranges, you can replicate the flavor by mixing 2 parts orange juice and 1 part lime juice. You can also buy bitter orange (naranja agria) juice at a Latin market
  • Most bay leaf bought at stores in bulk tends to be very weak. Feel free to use more leaves for extra flavor.
  • Although it makes the dish more personal, you can opt out of making the broth. Store bought chicken broth (or bullion) is perfectly fine and a lot easier.
  • This recipe is a good base to build on and customize. Here are some add-ins I've seen before: 
    • Beer
    • Valencia rice instead of traditional jasmine rice
    • Boneless chicken
    • Bacon
    • Chorizo

 






 

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Receta Original:

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ARROZ CON POLLO

 

2 pollos

3 dientes de ajo

1 naranja agria

1/3 taza aceite

1 ají grande

1 cebolla grande

1 lata de salsa de tomate

2 latas de pimientos morrones

1 lata de petit pois

1 lata puntas de espárragos

2 cdas. de sal

½ cdta. de pimienta

1 hoja de laurel

3½ taza de vino seco

2 taza de caldo

2 lbs. de arroz

Azafrán para colorear

 

        Haga un caldo con los menudos del pollo.

        Corte los pollos en cuartos y adóbelos de antemano con ajo machacado y naranja agria. Caliente el aceite y dore los pollos, añada la cebolla bien picadita, el ají picadito, salsa de tomate, una lata de pimientos molidos con su liquido, el liquido de los petit pois y de los espárragos, sal, pimienta, hoja de laurel, el azafrán para colorear, vino seco, caldo y agua. Lava y remoje el arroz. Cuando el pollo este medio cocinado, añada el arroz. Déjelo a fuego lento hasta que el grano esté abierto y blando. Añada los petit pois, y adórnelo con pimientos, espárragos, petit pois, y huevos duros. Da 8 raciones aproximadamente.

 





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