ARROZ CON POLLO (CUBANO)
In Cuba, "arroz con pollo" has the same status of a national dish. But even among serious cooks, the rules for constructing it are changing. The freshly made pastes (adobo and recaito), as well as the flavor-intensive olives, capers, and pimientos, still define the dish. But without the lard and the salt pork that health-conscious modern cooks have put behind them, the proud insistence on cooking the rice in plain water is yielding to the richer flavors of chicken broth or beer. Plantanos fritos (sautéed sweet bananas) are the classic accompaniment to this dish
Provided by Witch Doctor
Categories One Dish Meal
Time 7h30m
Yield 5-8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 30
Steps:
- Cut the chicken into 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 wing tips, a back piece, and 4 breast pieces. Reserve the neck, back, and wing tips for stock.
- Mix all the ingredients for the adobo and rub over the remaining pieces. Refrigerate several hours or overnight, or let sit at room temperature 1 hour to absorb the flavors.
- Meanwhile, make the stock. Put the neck, back, and wing tips (and giblets if you like) in 4 cups of water with the garlic, onion, celery, and cilantro. Cook uncovered 2 to 3 hours, then strain out the solids and return the stock to the pot.
- Coarsely chop the recaito ingredients, then process them together in a food processor until finely minced but not watery.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, wide, heavy bottomed saucepan, Dutch oven, or skillet. Add salt pork and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Remove any solid fat pieces but leave the meat in the pot. Add chicken thighs and drumsticks and cook 5 minutes. Add remaining chicken pieces and sausage pieces and cook another 10 minutes to brown all pieces on both sides.
- Remove and set aside. Add the recaito and cook 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce, then 3 cups hot stock (or 1 ½ cups stock and 1 ½ cups beer). Add the cumin, paprika, chili powder, turmeric and bay leaf and the rice. Bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan. Stir in the olives and some salt, if needed. Reduce heat and boil gently, uncovered, until all the surface water disappears (Cuban cooks say to cook uncovered until the rice is dry). With a wooden spoon, turn up the rice from the bottom of the pot.
- Reduce heat to very low, cover the pot, and cook for 1 hour, uncovering briefly every 15 minutes to turn up the rice from the bottom of the pan.
- Turn the rice and chicken onto a serving platter and garnish with the pimiento strips and the peas. Scrape up the pegao (the bottom crust) with a spatula (it will come off in pieces) and pass in a separate serving dish or scatter the pieces around the edges of the platter. It should be crisp and colored anywhere from gold to brown, but not burned.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 659.7, Fat 24.3, SaturatedFat 5.6, Cholesterol 52.7, Sodium 1381, Carbohydrate 83.7, Fiber 7.6, Sugar 10, Protein 22
MY FAVORITE ARROZ CON POLLO CUBANO
I know there are already a number of recipes for this, but this one really is a little different and really is awfully good. Leaving the chicken on the bone makes it more flavorful and juicier. You can use jarred pimento, but it's not that hard to roast the sweet pepper yourself and it tastes much better. You can reduce the garlic and leave out the hot pepper, but I think a little zing is a good thing. The basic recipe is thanks to Maria Josepha Lluria de Higgins. Cooking time includes marinating time.
Provided by Chef Kate
Categories Chicken
Time 1h50m
Yield 8 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
Steps:
- Chop the garlic on a cutting board.
- Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the garlic and, with a fork, mash the garlic/salt/pepper into a paste.
- Combine the garlic paste, orange juice and lemon juice.
- Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts.
- Place chicken and garlic/juice mixture in a large zip-lock bag or into a glass dish with a cover.
- Refrigerate for at least one hour, turning the chicken pieces in the marinade midway through the hour.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a paellera or wide, shallow pan.
- Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the marinade.
- Blot the chicken dry with paper towels and brown the pieces in the hot oil.
- If necessary, do this in batches--allow the individual pieces to brown on both sides.
- Remove and set browned chicken aside.
- In the same oil, saute the onion and green pepper about three minutes until onion is translucent.
- Add the broth, saffron, tomato paste, hot pepper, reserved marinade and the chicken and simmer for about three minutes.
- Add the rice and stir just enough to cover the rice with liquid.
- If the rice is not covered, add enough wine to cover.
- Simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about thirty minutes.
- If necessary, add additional broth and/or wine.
- When the chicken is almost done, warm the peas.
- When the rice is cooked, remove from heat and garnish the dish with the peas and roasted red pepper strips.
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