Arroz = rice Pollo = chicken
Great lesson, right?! You bet your Spanglish speaking booty it is! And the only thing better than knowing what it is would be knowing how to make it. Lucky for you, I'm here to tell ya!
In this recipe, the Spanish have transformed two ordinary and rather boring ingredients into something truly special and flavorful. Jess and I visited Puerto Rico on our honeymoon a couple months ago and ate at the restaurant of renowned chef Jose Enrique in San Juan. The following is an adapted version of his fantastic recipe for arroz con pollo.
Ready? Set? Cook!
Get your oven revved up to 400 degrees.
For this particular recipe, I'm fortunate enough to own a fantastic caldera gifted to me by my uncle Dan. While we have a ton of great cooks in my family, he's the only bona fide chef. Check out this lovely cooking pot:
Now, I don't expect everyone to just rummage around in their kitchen and pull out a caldera. A large, heavier, ovenproof skillet would work well for this dish. In that skillet, heat up 2 tbsp. of olive oil until it's shimmering.
While you're waiting for that to heat up, salt and pepper 8-10 chicken thighs. I love to use the thighs because they're so much more flavorful than chicken breasts. Place them in the skillet and cook until browned on each side, about 12 minutes or so. Transfer them to a plate.
Mince a medium sized onion, two serrano chiles (de-seeded), and two cloves of garlic and add them to the skillet, seasoning them with salt and pepper.
Cook on medium-high for around 8 minutes, stirring occasionally until they soften. To this mix, add 3 diced plum tomatoes, 1 tsp. ground cumin, and (if you have them) a pinch of saffron threads. If you don't have saffron, don't worry...it's CRAZY expensive and, while it does add great flavor, it won't break your dish if you omit it.
Cook for about 5 more minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Add a cup of dry white wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.
Your kitchen is starting to smell wonderful, isn't it? We're just getting started! Add 3 cups of chicken stock and a cup of beer (a lager or pilsner type would be best here) and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir in two cups of Bomba rice (hard to find, but more traditional) or Arborio rice (much easier to find) and return the mixture to a boil. Make sure you don't substitute another type of rice...you need the short, fat grains to absorb all your liquid and flavor in this dish. Sorry, Uncle Ben, you're not welcome here!
Tuck your chicken into the rice. We're going to bake it uncovered in the oven for about 30 minutes.
Once the 30 minutes is up, carefully remove your hot pot from the oven and dig in! Bye bye, boring chicken and rice. You've been replaced by arroz con pollo!
A little parsley adds a finishing touch. Salud!
Try it. You'll like it.
-Sam
Arroz Con Pollo
Serves: 4-6
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8-10 chicken thighs
1 medium onion, minced
2 serrano chiles, de-seeded and minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes
1 tsp. cumin
pinch of saffron threads (optional)
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup lager or pilsner style beer
2 cups Bomba or Arborio rice
chopped parsley, for serving
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large, deep, ovenproof skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and cook until browned on both sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the onion, chiles, and garlic to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes on medium-high heat until softened. Add the tomatoes, cumin, and saffron and cook for about 5 more minutes until the tomatoes start to break down. Add the wine and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add the stock and beer and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Tuck the chicken into the rice and bake uncovered in the oven for 30 minutes until the liquid is absorbed, the rice is tender, and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve hot garnished with fresh parsley.
