Arroz con Pollo

Name: Arroz con Pollo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Cuisine: Spain and Latin America
Ingredients: 1¼ kg (2½ lb) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks, about 8 pieces; 14 g (2⅓ tsp) fine sea salt, divided; 1 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp dried oregano; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped; 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped; 4 cloves garlic, chopped; 2 tbsp tomato paste; 1 pinch saffron threads, or 1 tsp ground annatto (achiote) or ½ tsp turmeric; 400 g (2 cups) medium- or long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained; 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock, Chicken Stock or store-bought; 1 bay leaf; 120 g (1 cup) frozen peas; 60 g (⅓ cup) green olives, pimento-stuffed or pitted; 1 bunch cilantro, chopped; 1 lime, wedges

Latin America's chicken and rice, cooked in one pot with sofrito and saffron

Serves: 4
Hands-on: 30 min
Total: 1 h 15 min
Level: Easy

Arroz con pollo is cooked from Spain to Puerto Rico to Peru, and every version starts the same way: chicken browned and simmered with a sofrito of onion, peppers and garlic, then rice cooked in the flavorful liquid until the grains are seasoned to the core. This version is in the Caribbean style, golden with saffron or annatto and finished with peas and olives.

Ingredients

1¼ kgbone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (2½ lb)about 8 pieces
14 gfine sea salt (2⅓ tsp)divided
1 tspground cumin
1 tspdried oregano
2 tbspolive oil
1onionfinely chopped
1green bell pepperfinely chopped
1red bell pepperfinely chopped
4 clovesgarlicchopped
2 tbsptomato paste
1 pinchsaffron threadsor 1 tsp ground annatto (achiote) or ½ tsp turmeric
400 gmedium- or long-grain white rice (2 cups)rinsed and drained
750 mlchicken stock (3 cups)Chicken Stock or store-bought
1bay leaf
120 gfrozen peas (1 cup)
60 ggreen olives (⅓ cup)pimento-stuffed or pitted
1 bunchcilantrochopped
1limewedges

Diet: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
Allergens: celery
Origin: Spain and Latin America

Method

Season the chicken with 8 g salt, the cumin and oregano. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot or deep sauté pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken skin side down until golden, 6–7 minutes, then turn for 2 minutes. Set aside. 9 min
Pour off all but 2 tbsp fat. Lower the heat to medium and cook the onion and peppers until soft, 8 minutes. Add the garlic, tomato paste and saffron and cook 2 minutes, stirring. 10 min
Stir in the rice and cook 2 minutes, until the grains are coated and lightly translucent at the edges. 2 min
Add the stock, bay leaf and remaining 6 g salt. Taste the liquid — it should be well seasoned, like a good soup. Nestle the chicken in, skin side up.
Bring to a boil, then cover tightly, lower the heat to minimum and cook undisturbed for 20 minutes. 20 min
Scatter the peas and olives over the top, cover again and cook 5 minutes more, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. The chicken should read at least 74°C (165°F) by the bone. 5 min
Rest, covered and off the heat, for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently around the chicken and scatter with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges. 10 min

Why it works

Toasting the rice in the sofrito coats each grain in fat so it absorbs the stock evenly without turning sticky. The chicken cooks in the same steam as the rice, releasing juices that season it from above. Leaving the lid on and resting off the heat lets the last of the steam finish the grains gently.

Common mistakes

Lifting the lid during cooking — the steam escapes and the rice cooks unevenly.
Under-seasoning the liquid. Rice absorbs it all, so taste before covering.
Stirring the rice once the liquid is in; it releases starch and turns gluey.

Variations

Peruvian arroz con pollo: Blend a big bunch of cilantro with 1 green chili and 100 ml of the stock and add it with the liquid for vivid green rice; add a diced carrot and corn kernels.
With beer: Replace 250 ml of the stock with a light lager, as many Peruvian and Colombian cooks do (add gluten).