Arroz con Pollo de Miriam (Cuban-style Chicken and Rice)

Hello! Did you miss us? Well, we're back and we're back with deliciousness. And who better to teach us than our first-ever and most frequent teacher? The one and only Miriam!

We had been wanting to include Arroz con Pollo on the blog for a long time. After all, it is one of the most popular and omnipresent dishes in Cuba's culinary tradition. As with much of Cuban cuisine, the dish originated in Spain but it is definitely a staple in Cuban food. It was even featured in one of  the most iconic episodes of "I Love Lucy", with Ricky and Fred attempting to make it.

As always there are a million recipes for Arroz con Pollo, this is how Miriam does it and it's very good! So, don't go kvetching in the comments telling us it's "wrong" - it's not wrong, it's how she does it.

The recipe is divided in two parts: the chicken broth and the chicken and rice.

Let's do this!

Ingredients

 

Broth

4 - 6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Medium Green Pepper - chunked
1 Medium Onion - chunked
5 Garlic Cloves - whole
2 Packets Tropical Seasoning - we used Sazón Goya

• NOTE: If you use chicken with bones, you can omit the tropical seasoning

1 Medium Tomato - chunked
1/2 Tblsp Sea Salt or to taste

Chicken and Rice

1 Medium Onion - diced
1 Medium Pepper - diced
5 Garlic Cloves - minced
Olive Oil - enough to cover bottom of pot
1/2 tsp Salt
7 oz Can of Whole Red Pimentos - save liquid
12 oz Jar of White Asparagus - save liquid
8.5 oz can of Sweet Peas - save liquid
1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tbsp Sofrito Criollo - we used Kirby
12 oz Tomato Sauce
1 1/2 cups Cooking Wine
6 cups of the Broth from above
2 Bay Leaves
2 lbs Short Grain Rice
1/4 tsp Annatto Powder  - we used Bijol
1 Bottle of Beer
1/2 tsp Sea Salt or to taste


Process

This recipe makes 16 servings

Broth:

1. Add ingredients in pot and add water to cover everything. Bring to a boil.
2. Once boiling, lower temperature to sustain a low boil.
3. Cook for approximately one hour or until chicken's internal temperature is 165° F.
4. Remove the chicken and set aside.
5. Strain and press vegetables into the broth and discard.
6. Set broth aside.

Chicken and Rice:

1. Shred the chicken.

1. Dice onions and peppers and mince the garlic.

1. Add enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pot.
2. Add shredded chicken and brown lightly. 

1. Add garlic, onion and peppers. Add sofrito criollo, tomato sauce, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/4 tsp cumin. Stir thoroughly.
2.  Add cooking wine, liquid from peas, asparagus and red pimentos. 
3. Cook mixture on high until onions and peppers are soft, about 10 minutes.
4. Taste for seasoning, add salt as needed.
5. Turn the stove off.

• NOTE: If you want, you can turn this off now and return when you're ready to add the rice and finish cooking the dish.

1. Rinse the rice.

1. Pre-heat oven to 350° F.
2. Turn chicken mixture back on to high. Add 6 cups of broth, 1 Tbsp olive oil, 2 bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp of salt. Bring the mixture to a full boil.

1. Add the rice and 1/4 tsp of Bijol. Bring back to a full boil. 
2. Cover the pot and place in the oven for 20 minutes. 
3. Take out of the oven, add beer and stir. 

• NOTE: If you want the arroz con pollo to be "a la chorrera" (soupy) add more broth to taste. You will have a lot of broth left, it can be frozen and used in other dishes.

1. Add pimentos, peas, and asparagus for garnish.

Miriam made sweet fried plantains - the classic accompaniment to arroz con pollo - and we paired it with a crisp, lovely Rosé. We all enjoyed a wonderful dinner, sharing old memories and making new ones.

Do you have an arroz con pollo recipe? How is it different? Let us know in the comments, and also let us know if you make Miriam's recipe and how it turned out.

¡Buen provecho!