My Favorite Arroz Con Pollo Cubano Recipes

ARROZ CON POLLO (CUBAN CHICKEN & RICE RECIPE)

Steps:

• First, pat the chicken thighs dry with a paper towel then season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
• In a wide Dutch oven or large pot with a heavy bottom and a lid, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Over medium heat, place chicken thighs in the pan and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
• Next, add the remaining olive oil and sauté onion, garlic and red pepper, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
• Add the rice, chicken stock, tomato sauce, annatto powder, bay leaf, oregano, cumin, salt, and pepper to the saucepan. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
• Bring to a boil then add the chicken thighs to the mixture. Reduce heat to low and cover with the lid.
• Cooking low and slow will ensure you don't burn the rice. Every stove cooks differently so after 40 minutes, take a peek and see if the liquid has been absorbed. If yes, remove the pot from the heat immediately so it doesn't continue to cook with the residual heat. If not, continue to cook in 5 minute increments until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove pot from the heat.
• Fluff the rice with a fork then stir in the frozen peas until warm. Serve and enjoy!

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 (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.