CREAMY ARROZ CON POLLO (CHICKEN WITH RICE) WITH SAFFRON
Luis' recipe for arroz con pollo (chicken with rice). It's a traditional dish throughout Latin America and a close cousin of paella.
Recently, he made this and as we took our first bites, there was a collective hush across the dinner table. The saffron. The rice. The chicken.
It's homey, it's healthy. It's elegant. It also feeds a lot of people.
Here's how to make it:
Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
One 4 lb. chicken, cut into 8 pieces
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small yellow or Vidalia onion, diced
1/4 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
Saffron threads (5 or 6)
Good splash of dry white wine
1/2 cup frozen green peas
Salt and pepper to taste
Lime
Non-stick pan
*Optional: Spanish chorizo
Directions
1. Wash and dry the chicken. Cut chicken breast into four pieces and halve the quarter legs. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
2. Heat vegetable oil on medium high heat and sear the chicken approximately 7-10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Lower the heat and remove the chicken.
3. Add the onion and peppers to the pan and slowly turn the heat up to medium. When are the onions are translucent, add garlic and cook about two minutes, moving the mix constantly. *If you would like to add chorizo to the dish, this is the time do it.
4. Lower the heat and add the tomato sauce. When it begins to bubble, add the white wine and let the alcohol burn off for a couple of minutes.
5. Add saffron and stir.
6. Add the chicken. Luis likes to organize the legs and thighs in the center of the pan (they can take the heat and won't dry out as much). He then arranges the chicken breasts, bone-down, around the outskirts of the pan.
7. Rinse the rice once and pour it in-between the chicken pieces. Push the heat up to high and bring the mix to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and let the chicken simmer for about 35 to 45 minutes. With a digital meat thermometer, make sure the chicken reaches a minimum of 165 degrees.
8. Turn the heat off, add green peas and let the dish rest for a few minutes.
When plated, give a good squeeze of lime on top and serve immediately.
The dish doesn't need a side, but Luis fried plantains for the kids and made a simple salad with butter lettuce, avocado, tomato, olive oil, salt and pepper.
For the adults, he recommends a light beer. Luis is a fan of Michelob Ultra Pure Gold organic light lager, which has a denser flavor than most light beers.
Leftovers the next day were magical after the flavors blended overnight.
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