Arroz con Pollo

Arroz Con Pollo
posted by CrissyBear - 5/17/2010

Crissy's Note: This is my family recipe dramatically lightened by using skinless chicken pieces and seriously reducing the amount of oil (mom uses almost 1/2 cup).

2 tablespoons canola oil
2 5 ounce skinless chicken drumsticks
2 5 ounce skinless chicken thighs
2 8 ounce chicken breast halves without skin -- cut in half to make 4 pieces
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1 small can tomato sauce
8 Spanish olives stuffed with red peppers -- drained
1 teaspoon Spanish capers -- drained
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups white rice
4 cups boiling water
1/2 tablespoon salt -- or to taste
2 roasted red peppers -- cut into strips for garnish
fresh cilantro -- for garnish

In a large caldero, brown the chicken parts in the oil, 5 minutes each side. Remove chicken from the pot and set aside.

To the same pot, add all the other ingredients except for the rice, water, salt and chicken. Mix well and cook this sofrito mixture for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the chicken and rice to the pot and stir well to combine.

Add the boiling water until the water is about 1 inch above the rice, stir once only. Add salt and taste water, adding more salt to taste if desired. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until water reaches level with rice and air pockets begin to form.

Once the water is absorbed gently stir from bottom to top. Just a couple of turns only. Cover and continue to cook over low heat for another 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with roasted red pepper strips.

This recipe serves 8 (1/2 breast, 1 piece dark meat and 1/8th of rice).

319 Calories; 6g Fat; 23g Protein; 41g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber


Other Hints: Resist the temptation to stir. Too much stirring causes the rice to become "amogollao" or sticky.

If you have bottled or homemade sofrito, you may use 1/2 cup in place of the green pepper, onion and garlic but it may raise the PP value by 1 point (most commercial sofrito contains oil).

We traditionally serve this with green peas.