Arroz con Pollo

There is something about the combination of chicken and rice that makes me happy. And I’m sure I’m not the only one. In fact, it seems that every culture has its version of a chicken and rice dish, from the cream-of-mushroom chicken rice casseroles of the midwest, to Hainanese Chicken dishes, made in various regions in Southeast Asia, to India’s Chicken Biryani. I just saw a new (to me) recipe for Halal-cart style chicken and rice that I can’t wait to try. Of all these various permutations of chicken and rice, though, arroz con pollo remains my favorite.

I’ve actually written about arroz con pollo before, in the early days of this blog. I’d seen a recipe on the Food Network that gave me a major craving, but then couldn’t find it online. I did my best to approximate what I’d seen, and it was good, but I remembered the recipe as being quite complicated. Last week, I once again found myself with an arroz con pollo yen, thanks to Joy the Baker. Her recipe, with saffron and wine, looked irresistable.

When it came time to make dinner, though, I found myself wanting something simpler. I wanted few steps and fewer dishes. I wanted something that could largely be left alone, while I relaxed with a good book (or some Ugly Betty, as the case may be). I re-tweaked my original recipe, though not by much, and ended up with a huge pot of warm, spicy goodness. This is my go-to recipe for a Friday night dinner, when you’re really done thinking about anything.

This is basic. You can elaborate if you like. Corn might be a nice addition, and a few avocados on top never hurt anyone. I cooked this so long that the meat fell off the bone; if you’d prefer your chicken pieces to stay more intact, add them back in halfway through cooking the rice. I also felt that this needed a LOT of salt, but it could have been my taste buds being weird. I was having a hard time tasting things last weekend. The trick is to add a little at a time, tasting as you go. If you like your food spicy, add an extra hit of chile powder, or choose one that is a very spicy. I also used half a can of Hatch chiles, because we had them leftover. You can use a whole can, or leave them out altogether.

Arroz con Pollo

• 1-2 teaspoons chile powder (I used Guajillo)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 chicken legs, bone in and skin on
• 1 large chicken breast, bone in and skin on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large red onion, diced
• 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 can of hatch chiles (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups chicken stock or water
• about 1 to 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
• salt to taste
• lime juice to taste (optional)
• Manzanilla olives and hot sauce to garnish

Mix together the chile powder, cumin, and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the chicken pieces, rubbing the mix in a little with your fingers.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When it’s very hot, add the chicken pieces, skin side down. I had to cook the two legs in one batch, and the breast separately, because they were large pieces. Let the chicken cook for a few minutes on each side, just enough to brown lightly. You don’t need to cook it all the way through. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Adjust the heat if needed to keep the oil hot, but not burning. Add the onions, and let them cook for about four or five minutes. When they are golden and translucent, stir in the red peppers. Cook for another few minutes, until they begin to soften, then stir in the garlic.

Let the vegetables cook down until they are tender. Then stir in the rice. Stir it well, and let it cook together for about a minute before stirring in the diced tomatoes and the broth (or water). Nestle the chicken pieces back in (if you’d like to keep the chicken more intact, wait about 20 minutes before adding the chicken to the pot). Cover with the lid, and let the liquid come to a boil. Then lower the heat and let the rice and chicken cook for at least 40 minutes. It took about an hour for my rice to cook completely and the liquid to absorb; your mileage may vary. Taste the mixture periodically and add salt, a teaspoon at a time, until the flavor is bright. A squeeze of lime juice is very nice, too.

Five minutes before it’s done cooking, scatter the frozen peas over the top. When the rice is done, stir the peas into the rice. If your chicken fell apart, remove the bones and the bits of skin, and try to break the chicken apart. It’s ok to have some large pieces in there. Garnish with olives and hot sauce, if you like.