Tag Archives: Arroz con Pollo

Peruvian-Style Arroz con Pollo

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According to America’s Test Kitchen, there are many versions of chicken and rice across Latin America; Peruvian Arroz con Pollo stands apart thanks to the addition of cilantro purée and aji Amarillo paste. The tender chicken and savory rice has underlying heat from the pepper paste; and the rice should be moist but not mushy. The accompanying sarza criolla should provide a bright, punchy counterpoint to the rich chicken and rice. It is a nice accompaniment, but we felt not necessary.

Suggestions: This is usually made with the Peruvian beer, Cusqueña Negra, but any smooth, malty beer such as Modelo Negra, New Castle Brown Ale, or Sam Adams Boston Lager will work.
Ají amarillo paste, made from yellow Peruvian chiles, is available in supermarkets or online. The spice level can vary between brands; taste before using. If it’s mild (or if it’s spicy and you prefer a spicier dish) use the full 2 tablespoons. If you’re sensitive to spice, use the lower amount.
It is important to measure the liquid in the Dutch oven after cooking the chicken to ensure you have the proper amount for cooking the rice; do not skip this step.
If using, make the sarza criolla (see recipe below) while the rice cooks.

Peruvian-Style Arroz con Pollo

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 2 cups (2 oz.) fresh cilantro leaves and stems
  • ½ cup water
  • 4-6 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 2 ¼ tsp. table salt, divided
  • ¾ tsp. pepper
  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped fine
  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1-2 Tbsp. ají amarillo paste
  • ½ tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 ½ cups dark beer
  • 2 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • 1 recipe Sarza Criolla (recipe follows)

Directions

  1. Process cilantro and water in blender until cilantro is finely chopped and very loose puree forms, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed; set aside.
  2. Pat chicken dry and season both sides with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook, without moving, until well browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to large plate.
  3. Add onion, garlic, chile paste, cumin, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add beer, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until mixture is almost dry, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in cilantro puree and return chicken to pot, skin side up (chicken will be almost entirely above surface of puree).
  4. Adjust heat to simmer, cover, and cook until chicken registers at least 195 degrees, 18 to 20 minutes.
  5. Using tongs, transfer chicken to clean plate. Transfer cooking liquid in Dutch oven to 4-cup liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1 ½ cups). Add enough broth to measure 3 ½ cups. Return broth mixture to pot and stir in rice, pepper, and carrots. Bring to boil, adjust heat to simmer, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
  6. Off heat, stir in peas (browning at bottom of rice is OK). Arrange chicken on top of rice and pour any accumulated juices into pot. Cover and let stand until peas and chicken are warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing sarza criolla separately.

Sarza Criolla
Makes about 2 cups

Thinly sliced onions are key to this accompaniment; use a mandoline, if possible.

Ingredients

  • 1 red onion, halved and sliced through root end 1/16 inch thick
  • â…› tsp. table salt, plus salt for salting onion
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp. lime juice
  • â…› tsp. pepper

Directions

  1. Toss onions and ½ teaspoon table salt in strainer or colander set over bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse onions under cold water and pat dry.
  2. Combine onions, cilantro, lime juice, pepper, and salt in bowl. (Sarza criolla can be made up to 1 hour ahead).

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe as tested for ATK’s Cook’s Illustrated

Peruvian Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

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Arroz con pollo is classic comfort food throughout Latin America. A staple in many Latin American kitchens, arroz con pollo combines inexpensive ingredients—chicken, rice, and spices—in a filling one-pot meal.

To make this Cook’s Illustrated version, choose moist chicken thighs, which are browned in a Dutch oven to build flavor and render fat. Use a food processor to transform onion, cilantro, Cubanelle pepper, garlic, and cumin into a flavorful sofrito that serves as the backbone for the dish. Medium-grain rice to long- and short-grain varieties are preferred because it gives the dish a creamy, cohesive texture. Sazón seasoning does double duty here, adding both savory flavor and vibrant color.

A staple of many cuisines, including Puerto Rican, Dominican and Mexican cooking, sazón is a blend of spices, and when translated from Spanish, it means simply “seasoning.” It can be found with the other Latin American foods in most supermarkets. It was easily sourced at our local supermarket, but if you can’t find sazón, a decent substitute would be smoked paprika.

All of the ingredients in sazón will add a warm, earthy taste to your dish, but the main reason you use sazón is to give your dish a pop of orange color. You can use sazón in a myriad of applications since it plays well with acidic foods and dishes such as in a vibrant tomato dish, as a seasoning on French fries and popcorn, and as a dry rub for pork belly.

If necessary, substitute 3/4 cup of chopped green bell pepper for the Cubanelle pepper. Allow the rice to rest for the full 15 minutes before lifting the lid to check it. Long-grain rice may be substituted for medium-grain, but the rice will be slightly less creamy. 

These photos were taken when beta testing the recipe for America’s Test Kitchen. Once revised and published six months later, the ingredients and instructions were altered and those revisions are reflected in the recipe below.

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, and stems, chopped
  • 1 onion, chopped (1 cup)
  • 1 Cubanelle pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped (3/4 cup)
  • 5 garlic cloves, chopped coarse
  • 1 tsp. ground cumin
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 3 ½ Tbsp. lemon juice, (2 lemons), plus lemon wedges for serving
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 (5- to 7-oz.) bone in chicken thighs, trimmed
  • 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 cups medium-grain rice, rinsed
  • 1 Tbsp. Goya Sazón with Coriander and Annatto; OR smoked paprika
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
  • ¼ cup pimento-stuffed green olives, halved
  • 2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed
  • 2 bay leaves
  • ½ cup frozen peas, thawed (optional)

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Process cilantro, 1/2 cup onion, Cubanelle, garlic, and cumin in food processor until finely chopped, about 20 seconds, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer sofrito to bowl.
  2. Process mayonnaise, 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons sofrito in now-empty processor until almost smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer mayonnaise-herb sauce to small bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
  3. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken to pot skin side down and cook without moving it until skin is crispy and golden, 7 to 9 minutes. Flip chicken and continue to cook until golden on second side, 7 to 9 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to plate; discard skin.
  4. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Add remaining 1/2 cup onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in rice and Sazón and cook until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
  5. Stir in broth, olives, capers, bay leaves, remaining sofrito, remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, scraping up any browned bits. Nestle chicken into pot along with any accumulated juices and bring to vigorous simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Transfer pot to wire rack and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Fluff rice with fork and stir in peas, if using. Discard bay leaves. Serve with mayonnaise-herb sauce and lemon wedges.

http://www.lynnandruss.com

Recipe from Cook’s Illustrated