ISO Arroz Con Pollo recipe

[abjcooking]

Does anyone have a favorite arroz con pollo recipe? I found this one online that I was going to use, but I thought someone here might have some other suggestions.

I don't have any saffron so I was going to substitute tumeric.
Arroz Con Pollo

1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 cup Tomato sauce
1 each Frying chicken cut up
1/8 teaspoon Saffron (powdered)
1 each Small onion chopped
2 1/2 cups Chicken broth
1 each Clove garlic minced
1 cup Uncooked rice
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil, brown chicken on both sides. Add onion and garlic, fry a few minutes, then add tomato sauce, saffron dissolved in chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add rice, stir well, cover again and simmer for 30 minutes longer, or until all liquid has been absorbed and chicken is tender.

[AllenOK]

Well, I thought I had an Arroz con Pollo recipe, but apparently, it's all Arroz Verde recipes that I have. I haven't eaten Arroz con Pollo before, but I noticed there wasn't anything in there for a little heat. That surprises me. Maybe adding a little chili powder, or some pureed Chipotle in Adobo?

[abjcooking]

Well, I tried the recipe and adjusted it a little. It came out fantastic. The chicken was falling off the bone. Latin cuisine usually isn't that spicy. I remember having arroz con pollo in Costa Rica and there wasn't any spice at all. I have a picture from image shack below with the alterations to the recipe.

http://img240.imageshack.us/my.php?i...dsmsize6ap.jpg

I decided to double the sauce and rice from original so the chicken would remain in liquid as it cooked and I now have a bunch of leftover rice for other meals.

Arroz con pollo

1/2 cup olive oil
1 frying chicken cut up
1/2 cup tomato sauce
pinch tumeric
1 spanish onion
3 cloves garlic (you can add a little more if you like garlic)
4 cups chicken broth plus 1 cup water
2 cups uncooked rice
kosher salt
sugar

Brine the chicken: Dissolve 1 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar in 1/2 cup very hot water. When dissolved add 7 1/2 cups cold water. Submerge chicken and let sit for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Cook chicken: Take chicken out of brine and dry on paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place olive oil in bottom of big pot and heat. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Before completely brown add chopped onion and garlic. Add tomato sauce, chicken broth, tumeric, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice: Add rice, stir and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until rice is done and liquid absorbed. (Original recipe called to cover rice, but I found the liquid didn't evaporate and absorb as quickly as it should so I ended up taking the lid off).

[AllenOK]

Nice looking dish! I'm going to have to give that one a try.

[Mr_Dove]

Latin cooking not that spicy?? We'll my experience has been the complete opposite but then every area of Latin America has their own cuisine too. My time was spent in Mexico and in Bolivia.

Not everything in Bolivia is spicy but I'd say the majority of it has some kick to it.

[Michael in FtW]

Look at what this recipe does, and does not, have in it. It has olive oil and saffron ... it doesn't have lard and chiles. Compare it to a recipe for paella - this is a Spanish dish, not Latin American.

[Mr_Dove]

Good eye there Michael. It DOES look like a spanish dish rather than Latin.

[AllenOK]

I did notice the saffron, but didn't think about tying in the olive oil. That would make sense.

[ponchit]

I learned this dish from a puerto rican couple visiting the Philippines over a decade ago. It is very simmilar to the recipe above exceat she used lard and instead of saffron she used achote seeds to ghat red color. then she also put a few chunks of plantain and saw leaf coriander end

[lwaltero]

I know this is a bit late, but I have a wonderful arroz con pollo recipe. It only takes a few minutes to make and it's loaded with flavor.

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tomato
1/3 cup green olives
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 large pkg. yellow rice w/saffron (preferably Goya)
1/2 stick of pepperoni
Olive Oil

Cut up chicken thighs and dice the tomato. Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil. Simmer together the chicken and tomatoes for a couple of minutes, until the chicken is slightly cooked and the tomatoes begin to disolve. Add olives, corn and peas. Let cook for a few more minutes. Add the amount of water indicated on the package of yellow rice and bring everything to a boil. Add the rice and cover. Cook 10 more minutes. Cut the pepperoni into slices, then quarter the slices. Add to the rest of the mixture. Cook for another 10 - 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Serve with a nice thick slice of italian or french bread.

This recipe freezes nicely, too.