Arroz Con Pollo
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into serving pieces and pre-seasoned with adobo con
- pimienta (Goya adobo with pepper)
- 1/2 cup achiote oil
- 4 oz. pork fatback cut into slices or diced
- 8 oz. smoked ham, diced
- 1 cup sofrito
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup capers and olives or pimento stuffed olives
- 1 teaspoon adobo con pimienta
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 6 cup chicken broth
- 6 cup long grain rice, washed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 sprigs of cilantro
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
Instructions
Brown fatback on medum high until it renders its fat; add ham and stir for a couple of minutes; add chicken parts and achiote oil and brown on all sides. Add sofrito and cook for a couple of minutes; add tomato sauce and cook until it all bubbles up good. Add capers and olives, adobo, organo and chicken broth (or water with cubes). Bring to a boil, adjust seasonings (make sure it's saltier than you would normally eat because the rice evens it out). Add the rice, cilantro and the garlic cloves. When it starts boiling again, lower to medium, leave uncovered and let the liquids boil out until you hear the rice "talk" to you. It should make a sound like when bacon is cooked just right. Stir the rice taking care not to break up the chicken and make sure you do not bring up the crusty rice on the bottom of the pot. Cover and let cook for about 10 - 15 more minutes. Turn the stove off, stir, and remove from the burner to let it rest for 5 minutes before serving with delicious beans, a slice of avocado and plantain "tostones". Achiote Oil 4 oz annato seeds 2 cups oil Heat oil in a saucepan on med high; add achiote seeds, stir and remove from heat. Let stand uncovered and when cool, strain into jars. Sofrito 3 lbs. onions, cut into quarters 3 lbs. cubanelle peppers, seeded and cut in half 2 large green bell peppers 2 large heads of garlic, peeled 2 roma tomatoes or any very ripe tomatoes, cut into quarters 1 7 oz jar olives with pimento 1 7 oz jar pimentos 1 bunch cilantro, bottom stems removed 1 bunch recao (PR coriander, ngo gai in Asian markets, shadow benny in Caribbean markets) 1 lb sweet chili peppers (ajicitos dulces, capsicum chinense) 3 tbsp. organo Grind these ingredients in your blender or food processor and freeze in plastic containers about the size of a large sour cream container.