Really Good Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo is just Spanish for Rice with Chicken.

Does that mean you can take a chicken and cook some rice, put them together and call it arroz con pollo?

You may, but the food police might arrest you.

I haven't made this traditional Spanish dish in years.
I have seen so many different Latino versions, Spanish versions and bad American versions.

Here is my version, and it's pretty damn good.



Stacey's Arroz con Pollo:

8 chicken thighs, with skin and bones
salt and pepper
olive oil for the dutch oven

1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 slices of smoked ham (or bacon) chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 generous pinch of crumbled saffron threads
1 tsp of sweet paprika
1 red or green pepper, chopped

2 cups of chicken stock
1 1/2 cups of chopped canned tomatoes

1 cup of long grain rice (I had jasmine rice, not really traditional in this dish, but it came out great).

garnish:
chopped fresh parsley
defrosted frozen peas
roasted red pepper strips for garnish (or pimento)

Season your chicken thighs w/ salt and pepper.
In a heavy dutch oven (Le Creuset is good) heat olive oil and add your chicken and brown on both sides for about 8 minutes until skin is getting crispy.
Remove chicken from pan with tongs and set aside.



Pour off all of the fat except for about 2 tablespoons.
Now add your onions, smoked ham, garlic and peppers. Saute a few minutes and add your spices: saffron, cumin, salt and paprika. Coat the onion mixture with the spice mixture for a minute.



Now add your stock and tomatoes and bring to a boil.
Add your 1 cup of rice to the pot and place your chicken pieces back in the pot on top of the rice.





Simmer this on low, partially covered for about 25-30 minutes, scraping up the brown bits that have stuck (yummy soccarat) to the bottom of the pan once or twice.



Garnish with peas, parsley and roasted red pepper strips.