Arroz con pollo and the eternal pursuit of happiness, enlightenment and world peace...

Arroz con pollo/Rice with chicken


History has denied its dues to the Arroz con Pollo. Throughout the centuries this delicious dish has been lingering in the shadow of its most glamorous cousin "the paella".

I love a paella, specially the legitimate ones that I have enjoyed at bona fide
Spanish Restaurants in the Caribbean and even Portuguese (yes that is
right) restaurants in Philly. Anything else out there is just plain fake.

Now, let's be real. How many people can truly bear the cost in ingredients and time in labor that takes to put together a "verdadera" paella?

Enters in the "arroz con pollo". It is culinary
democracy.

Much simpler to concoct and easier in the wallet, this Spanish dish shows that it can be more than a step-brother of the paella. The rice with chicken is a star on its own.

So much so that many Spanish-speaking countries claim it as its own. Truth is that I have never sample two arroz con pollo that tasted or looked the same. The recipes and methods of preparations can varies from country to country and from person to person.

On one hand, that is good for gourmandism because there is more creative
experiences "to explore".

On the other hand, it confuses the habichuelas out of people that want to learn how to prepare it.

There tons of recipes out there. Here is one of them:

Ingredients:

8 Pc Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast Halves
1 1/4 cup Long-Grain Rice
12 ounces Beer2 Cloves Garlic -- minced
1/4 teaspoon Pepper
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
14 1/2 ounces Chicken Broth, Canned
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Ground Saffron
20 ounces Frozen Peas
4 ounces Pimiento

Directions:
Rinse chicken; pat dry. In a 12 inch skillet cook chicken uncovered in hot oil over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes or till brown, turning to brown evenly. Remove chicken. Add uncooked rice to skillet. Cook and stir over medium heat till rice is light brown. Stir in chicken broth, beer, cumin, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, saffron and pepper.

Place chicken on top of the rice mixture. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 to 35 minutes or till rice and chicken are tender. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Stir the peas and pimientos into the rice mixture; heat through. Transfer the rice mixture to a serving bowl. Arrange the chicken pieces on top of the rice.

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