Arroz con Pollo

Ingredients for 4 generous portions or 6 smaller portions:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil - You want the entire bottom of the skillet to have a thin film of oil

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped

• 4 cloves garlic, finely sliced

• 1/2 sweet red pepper (optional)

• 1 tsp Spanish pimenton, known in the US as “Smoked Paprika”

• 1 tsp saffron - if you are on a budget, skip the saffron, but you must try it at some point. It’s a game changer.

• 4 - 6 chicken thighs; with bone yields best flavor, but boneless cooks faster and is easier if you’re serving lots of people.

• 2 cups medium grain rice (I use Cal-Rose, or imported Spanish “Bomba” rice)

• 1 tbl tomato paste

• 4 cups chicken stock

• 1 tbl chopped parsley

• 1/2 cup pimento filled green “Spanish” olives

• 1/2 cup frozen peas, or fresh cooked, if in season

• 1 tsp Salt and 1/2 tsp pepper (plus more to taste)

  • Note: I use Morton’s kosher salt. If using diamond, you will need to adjust and add more.
    
    You can use either a paella type pan, shallow and wide, a skillet, brazier or Dutch oven. Bonus: All the ingredients are added to the same skillet, so make sure it’s big enough.

• A 4-quart pot should do, or a 10 to12 inch skillet with high sides.

  Note: all the cooking is done uncovered until the final resting period.

  
  It’s important to have all ingredients, your “mise en place” measured and ready to go into skillet.

• Heat oil in skillet over medium high heat.

• Add chopped onion, sauté until translucent, then and garlic and sauté again until soft and translucent, careful not to burn it. If it’s cooking too quickly, lower the heat. If you add red pepper, add it now, and sauté until soft. This is the sofrito, or the flavor base for the rice.

• Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika while the “sofrito” is sautéing. Add seasoned chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes on each side, or until golden color is formed. It is not cooked yet, but will be added back into the pan to finish cooking.

• Remove chicken to a plate. Add the rice into the pan and sauté until opaque. Add tomato paste and stir in, giving the rice some color.

  • Note: if you chose to use sliced breast meat or tenders you can leave the chicken in the skillet.

• Add the partially cooked chicken back into the skillet, nestling it into the rice.

• Heat stock with saffron until hot but not boiling. This can be done in the microwave (30 - 45 seconds).

• Add hot stock to pan letting it come to a boil; stir the chicken and rice gently to ensure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the skillet.

• Test broth now for seasoning and add salt if needed and pepper to taste.

• Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes. Try not to disturb it, but you can jiggle the skillet to ensure it’s not sticking.

• Add peas, olives and parsley for an additional 5 minutes, at the end of the cooking process, so they don’t lose their color.

• There may still be some liquid. Turn heat off and cover with a tight fitting lid for an additional 10 minutes. This “Repozo”, resting period, will allow the rice to absorb the remaining liquid.

  • Note: If you don’t have a tight fitting lid for your skillet, cover it with foil and top that with a cloth towel.

• For presentation, place the whole skillet on the table, uncover and serve. Sometimes I drizzle some good Olive Oil to finish it.

• Serve with a fresh green salad.