Traditional Arroz con Pollo
Arroz con Pollo is a classic Latin comfort food. In a way, it is very similar to Spanish Paella except for the lack of seafood and sausage, but don't let that stop you from adding chorizo or kielbasa sausage. It is delicious. The rice absorbs all of the complex flavors of the dish. It's a perfect lunch if you plan to chop wood in the late fall...Arroz con Pollo will keep your energy up and insides warm.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 tbsp adobo seasoning
- 1/2 whole onion, chopped
- 1 whole green pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 whole red pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 clove garlic, minced or sliced
- 2 whole bay leaf (optional)
- 1/2 cup white wine to deglaze
- 1/3 cup green olive, quartered
- 1/4 cup pimento, diced or sliced
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- 2 pkts Sazon seasoning
- 1 cup rice
- 2 cup chicken or ham stock
- 1 tbsp parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup ham, diced (optional)
- 1/3 cup link sausage (optional)
- 1/2 cup green peas (optional)
Instructions
- In a heavy dutch oven style pot, add the oil and bring up to temperature just to smoking point.
- Pat down the chicken thighs with a paper towel and season well, all over with the adobo seasoning.
- Add the chicken to the prepared and hot pot. Cook the chicken first with the skin side down over medium to medium-high heat. Cook the chicken thoroughly to render out all of the fat. You can try the technique in the images above to crisp up the sides of the chicken skin. Turn the chicken and cook on both sides. Be sure to turn the chicken more frequently at the end to be sure it is cooked through. The internal temperature should be 155-160 degrees, as read with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove the chicken to a separate container, and add the onion, peppers and garlic. Cook the vegetables until soft and add the wine to deglaze the pan. There maybe a few browned bits (not black) on the bottom of the pan (these are called the fond or base). This is a good thing because it is where the best flavors develop. Deglazing will allow the brown bits to be released from the bottom of the pan and incorporated into the dish.
- With juices just reduced, add the olive, pimento, rice, tomato, tomato paste, and Sazon seasoning to the pan. Next, add the rice. Allow a little time for the rice to soak up all of the juices and cook for a short time. This will also help build another layer of flavor. Once the rice has absorbed the juices, add the chicken stock to the pan. Stir to mix thoroughly and bring up to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the dish begins to boil, reduce the heat to low/medium-low and cover with a lid. Cook the rice until done using the instructions on the package of rice you are using. Usually this takes 40-45 minutes.
- At 30 to 35 minutes, check to see how much liquid is still in the pot. Since every rice is different, add more water if it is needed or let it continue to cook until all the moisture is absorbed.
- Once cooked, fluff up the rice and add the chicken back to the pot along with any accumulated juices. If desired, you can add diced ham, green peas and parsley (optional). Place the lid back on the pot with the temperature on low and heat everything through about 8-10 minutes. The dish is ready to serve or you can keep it on the back burner until you need it later.