Arroz Con Pollo Cubano Recipes

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the chicken in an ovensafe baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken and evenly coat. Bake for 15 minutes until browned but not cooked all the way through (it will finish cooking with the rice).
• Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the rice is just lightly browned and the vegetables are starting to soften, about 2 minutes more. Make sure the garlic does not brown.
• Add the tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon and 3 cups water. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken to the rice in an even layer, skin-side up and not overlapping. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO - CUBAN STYLE

Steps:

• Cut chicken breasts into bite size cubes. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and cumin; set aside.
• Heat chicken broth.
• In an large iron pot put 2 tablespoons corn oil; add chicken breasts and fry until brown.
• Don't cook the chicken completely. Take chicken out and set aside.
• To the same pot add 2 tablespoons of oil and add chopped onions, garlic and green peppers. Sauté until onions are soft about 3 minutes. Add pearl rice and sauté for about 2 minutes to seal the rice.
• Start adding your liquid 1/2 cup of broth and 1 bottle of beer.
• When rice has absorbed the liquid, repeat step--1/2 cup of chicken broth and one bottle of beer; continue until rice is soft, stirring constantly after each addition of liquid.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt.When rice is almost cooked, add your chicken breast back into pot.
• Continue to cook until rice it fully cooked. Rice should be wet not dry. Serve immediately.

ARROZ CON POLLO (CUBANO)

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.

MY FAVORITE ARROZ CON POLLO CUBANO

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.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Prepare the adobo by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl, or blending in a small food processor, pilón or mortar and pestle.
• Pat the chicken dry, then place in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour prepared adobo over chicken. Toss well to combine, then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, or seal the bag, and let the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate for several hours or overnight to make the chicken extra tender and flavorful.
• Prepare the sofrito: In a large food processor or blender, blend the peppers and garlic until smooth. Add the onion and blend until smooth, then add the culantro and cilantro and blend until smooth. (The preparation may produce more sofrito than needed for this recipe, but you can store additional sofrito in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
• Add the rice to a medium bowl, then rinse with several rounds of cool water, pouring through a fine-mesh strainer until water runs out clear.
• Once chicken is marinated, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. When the oil is simmering, working in batches if necessary, add chicken in one layer and brown for 7 to 10 minutes per batch, turning several times to evenly brown.
• Meanwhile, bring chicken broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer until ready to use.
• Add sofrito, bay leaves and annatto or paprika to pot with chicken and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté until liquid is mostly evaporated and sofrito thickens to a paste, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until the sauce darkens. Add the rinsed rice, olives and capers (if using), and salt and pepper, and fold in to ensure that the rice is fully coated and the chicken is evenly distributed.
• Pour in hot stock, then simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring only 2 to 3 times and shaking the pot every few minutes to keep rice level. (The liquid surrounding the rice will lower by about 1 inch.) Watch the rice very closely: The window between just right and overcooked is small, and difficult to predict, but you'll become an expert at this over time.
• Once you start to spot lots of little bubbles on the surface but see no more pronounced liquid on top, top with the lid, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pot a few times. Once liquid is almost entirely evaporated, sprinkle thawed peas on top.
• Working directly in the pot, using 2 forks, pull apart chicken thighs until shredded. Gently fluff the rice, bringing grains from the bottom to the top. Return the lid and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with lime wedges, and serve with salted avocado and tomato slices (or a simple green salad). The dish keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.