Arroz con Pollo - Ethnic Foods R Us

Arroz con Pollo is a national dish of Panama. Traditionally served as part of special occasion feasts, Arroz con Pollo is nowadays enjoyed by itself as a main course any day of the week. A marvelous blend of flavors and textures, sure to delight you and your family and friends!

(Photo Attributed to Author: Kobako)

Arroz con Pollo Recipe-

Ingredients:

3 to 4 lb. whole chicken, cut into 6 to 8 serving sized pieces
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. Spanish sweet paprika
1/2 tsp. Spanish saffron
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped fine
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
salt, to taste
1-1/2 cups long-grain rice
4 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1-1/2 cups lamb broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

In a plastic gallon bag, combine the garlic powder, cumin, salt, saffron, paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Shake well to ensure thorough combining is achieved.
Wash the chicken well, pat the pieces dry and put them in the bag with the spice mixture. Shake the bag vigorously, tossing the chicken pieces until they are well coated all over.
In a large, high-walled skillet, heat the oil over high until it is almost smoking, but not quite. Add in the chicken pieces and fry until golden brown on all sides – about 6 minutes per side should do it. Use tongs to transfer the pieces to a large bowl.
Now add into the same skillet the bell peppers and onions, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste). Reduce the flame to medium, and fry the vegetables, stirring, for 6 to 7 minutes, until softened and fragrant.
Next, add and stir in the garlic and rice; cook until the rice starts turning golden and is nice and fragrant – this should only take about 1 minute.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the broth, tomato sauce and salt, to taste. Add this stock mixture and about 1-1/4 cups water into the skillet; stir well to ensure the rice is well covered in the liquid. Settle the chicken pieces into the rice, and add in the juices from the bowl the pieces were held in.
Raise the flame to bring the rice to a vigorous boil, then reduce the flame to medium-low and cover the skillet. Cook at a lively simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked through, the rice is tender, and almost all of the liquid is absorbed – about 30 to 35 minutes should do it.
When the chicken is well done and the rice is tender, cut off the flame and allow the dish to stand, skillet covered for about 10 to 12 minutes before serving.
Serve your Arroz con Pollo while still nice and very warm.