Arroz con Pollo
One of my husband's favorite spots in his homeland, Spain, is high up in the Picos De Europa mountains where a pair of beautiful lakes reign. These lakes and mountains host hundreds of cows, sheep and goats that in return for their lovely surroundings, give the shepherds their milk to make the renowned local cheeses; Queso Cabrales and Gamoneo (made from the milk of all three pastoral animals). On our first trip to this beautiful place I had my first bite of these cheeses, which were sharp, aggressive and addictive. But that first tip to the Picos, had a more memorable food moment in store for me. On that visit I had my first bite of ARROZ CON POLLO.
After a grueling winding car trip up to the mountains through fog and confronting tourist buses, we arrived. The sky had opened up and the sun shone brightly on the ice cold lakes. We eventually found our way into a big rustic cabin called a refugio (refuge) where mountain climbers and hikers go to eat and rest. That day we were treated to their “menu del dia”, which happened to be Arroz Con Pollo. It was made from the local free range, organic chickens and cooked in a rustic clay casserole over a slow wood burning fire allowing the chicken to release its essence, saturating each grain of rice with its flavorful juices, rendering it juicy and tender. Since that moment it became my favorite dish and after many years of making this dish, it has become a family favorite too.
The circumstances of that meal; the fresh components, the wood burning oven, cannot be re-created, but try I do making this by far the meal I make the the most in my cooking repertoire. It's tasty, easy, comforting and fast. The fact that I only need one pot or pan to cook it in, is a huge bonus. In cooking, there are always variations on a theme and this dish is no exception. The quick variation I make on a weeknight uses ready made chicken stock and chicken thighs. If I have more time on my hands I make the chicken stock myself. Either way it's easy and remains a family favorite after 30 plus years.
