Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con Pollo

Arroz con pollo, translated as chicken with rice, is a classic dish of Spain and Latin America.

This is another company friendly dish that you can prepare in advance before your guests show up, allowing you to have time to relax and serve a round of appetizers and drinks while it bakes in the oven.

It may seem odd to add both beer and wine to a recipe, however once you taste the rice, you’ll understand why.  The luxurious thickness and dark malts from the beer and the oakiness from the wine, add a deep earthy flavor to the rice.  And don’t be shy when adding a generous pinch (about 20 threads) of the saffron.  The distinctive flavor and color really sets the tone for the dish.

Ingredients:

1-3lb. chicken, cut into pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, grated, peels discarded
2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup dark Mexican beer
1 cup jasmine rice
½ cup olive oil
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 pinch saffron
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large oven-proof skillet until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, skin side down, turning once, until browned on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

2) Add more oil to the pan, if needed, and cook the onion, mushrooms and peppers until soft. Season the mixture with salt and pepper.

3) Add the tomatoes, garlic, thyme, saffron, cumin and paprika and cook, stirring, until the spice fragrance has been released, about 3 minutes.

4) Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced, then add the stock and the beer and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice.

5) Nestle the chicken into the rice mixture and bake, uncovered, in the oven for 45 minutes until the liquid is absorbed into the rice and the chicken is cooked through. Season the dish with salt and pepper and serve hot.

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