More than just chicken and rice

One of the idiosyncrasies of our household is that while I'm happy to explore a different cuisine or dish every night of the year as well as forgo meat and poultry in favor of vegetarian fare, my husband needs to eat chicken and rice.  He would be happy eating some version of chicken and rice every day.  It isn't that he doesn't like my culinary explorations (well, he never did touch my yellow squash quiche...) its just that he would be just as happy eating as long as chicken and rice were involved.

So I always thought it ironic that he didn't love Arroz con Pollo--at least when I've made it in the past.  Every time I made this dish I wondered why we didn't have it more often--my husband, however, wasn't as impressed.  This particular recipe, however, was an instant hit all around.  I've been trying to remember just which recipe I used last time so that I can mark it "don't try this at home". 

The Arroz con Pollo we had last night was featured in the most recent issue of the newly re-designed Saveur magazine.  Along with tasting fantastic, it filled the house with aromas reminiscent of my childhood in New York City.  As a kid I'd smell the familiar flavors of saffron spiked chicken stock simmering on stoves behind closed apartment doors on my floor every weekend.  This is Latino comfort food at its best--meat falling off the bone, yellowed rice infused with chicken stock--just a bit creamy with flecks of crispy rice scraped off the bottom of the stock pot.  Mmm, mmm, mmm.

This recipe is my slightly adapted version of the Arroz co Pollo de Irma printed in Saveur's October 2005 issue.

• 4 cups of chicken stock
• 1- 1 1/2 tsp. saffron threads
• 1 chicken bouillon cube or packet
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 de-boned chicken breasts or 4 oz giblet, rinsed and patted dry
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 lbs. chicken thighs, drumsticks, and wings (preferably free-range) skin removed as much as possible.  If using whole chicken, this is where the breast meat should come from.
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cloves
• 2 1/2 cups rice

1.  Put stock into a medium pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat to low add saffron threads and bouillon, and stir until bouillon dissolves.  Cover pot and keep broth warm over lowest heat.

2.  Heat oil in a 5 quart enameled cast-iron pot or other heavy-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat.  Add breasts or giblets and cook, stirring often, until well browned all over.  Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft--about 5 to 8 minutes.

3.  Season chicken all over with salt and pepper and add to pot.  Add bay leaves, cloves and 2 cups of the hot broth and reduce heat to medium-low.  Cover pot and cook for 20 minutes turning chicken halfway through cooking time.

4.  Transfer chicken to a medium dish.  Stir rice into pot, bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, and stir rice again.  Eyeball it to see if you'll need to add more broth to cook rice--if so, add about a half cup of the simmering broth from the other pot.  Arrange chicken on top of rice, cover pot, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 20 minutes.  Uncover pot, fluff rice with a fork and continue to cook until remaining liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes more.

5.  Transfer rice and breast pieces or giblets to a serving platter, discarding bay leaves and cloves.  Arrange chicken over rice and garnish with a sprig of fresh basil, if you like.  Pour remaining broth into a small heatproof pitcher or bowl and serve at the table to moisten the chicken and rice, if you like.

Comments

[jen maiser]

Arroz con Pollo is such a variable dish. I have never found it made the same way twice. This recipe looks delicious -- though if I tried to tell my Mexican grandmother to make hers with saffron she would laugh me out of town.

Prety dang funny about your husband and the rice thing. Please tell me that you use a rice cooker. :-) I definitely think that the "fancy" one is worth it for those of us who make a lot of rice. I have probably used it at least 5 times a week since we've purchased it.

[Walter Jeffries]

Ah-ha! I have a rooster who just got naimed "Arroz con Pollo"! Now I know how I'll be serving him up. Thanks!

[Jennifer]

Jen: We definitely have a rice cooker--but your smallest, most basic version. I think an upgrade is certainly in order!

Walter: Glad to give you some inspiration for your rooster's ultimate vocation--P.S. love your blog!