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Arroz con
pollo |
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Arroz con Pollo ("rice with chicken" in Spanish) is a
traditional dish that is common throughout Latin America and
the Caribbean,
especially in Cuba, Colombia, Panama, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Honduras and the
Dominican Republic. Common ingredients include rice, beer, stock,
sofrito (a mix
of vegetables and fresh herbs), chicken, and saffron or more authentic and
commonly annatto. |
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Left: Arroz con
pollo. |
Considered to be a Puerto Rican unofficial national dish,
"arroz con pollo" or "rice with chicken" is claimed to be native to Puerto Rico.
The dish has roots in the motherland of Spain. Arroz con pollo dates back to the
eighth century when the Moors occupied Spain and influenced the way they
imported and exported goods, along with the way they ate. Many other ingredients
the Spanish added were beef, pork (chorizo), rice, wheat, and olive oil.
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Arroz con pollo
recipe ingredients |
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The Sofrito
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Left:
Ingredients for Puerto Rican Sofrito. |
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A great
arroz con pollo begins with the sofrito, a blend
of vegetables and herbs that is the base of most
Puerto Rican stews and rice dishes. Here are the
ingredients to sofrito: |
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One cup
of white onion, chopped
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One cup
of green pepper, chopped
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One half
of a red pepper, chopped
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Four
garlic cloves
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Quarter
cup of cilantro leaves, chopped
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Quarter
cup recao leaves, chopped
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Adobo Dry
Spice Rub A mixture of
dry spices, including cumin, oregano, granulated
onion, garlic powder, salt and black pepper. |
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Remaining
Ingredients
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Four
chicken quarter legs and thighs
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Quarter
cup of olive oil infused with achiote (seeds
of the annatto tree)
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Quarter
cup of canned tomato paste
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Quarter
cup of green pimiento stuffed Spanish olives
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Quarter
teaspoon of ground black pepper
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Three
bay leaves (dried)
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Four
cups of long grain white rice
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Six cups
of chicken stock
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One 12oz
beer (optional)
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Recipe Cooking and Preparation
Method |
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Marinate the chicken in a mixture of olive oil and
two tablespoons of the adobo dry rub mixture. (For best results, let the
chicken marinate for a few hours to a day before cooking.)
Chop up the ingredients for your sofrito in a small bowl.
Preheat a medium-sized casserole pot with the achiote infused olive oil.
If you aren’t able to find achiote, plain olive oil will do nicely.
Brown the chicken until seared and caramelized and golden brown (about
five minutes over medium heat).
Next add the sofrito and sautee for another ten minutes.
Add the tomato paste, Spanish olives, black pepper and bay leaves. Stir
and cook for 20 minutes (covered), until chicken is fully cooked.
Stir in rice thoroughly, then add the chicken stock and beer and bring
to a boil at medium high-heat until most of the water has evaporated.
Finally stir rice and chicken and reduce heat to a simmer. Let cook for
another 20 minutes (covered) or until rice is
softened. |
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