Arroz con Pollo Recipe

Arroz con pollo (rice with chicken) is a traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, especially in Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Panama, Peru and Puerto Rico. In the Dominican Republic it is called locrio de pollo, and Saint Martin where it is called lokri or locreo.

There is some debate as to whether it originated in Spain. Puerto Ricans consider it one of their classic recipes. Many Puerto Ricans note that arroz con pollo can not be made without beer and annatto oil and saffron is no substitute. Beer and annatto are rarely used in Spanish cooking and never in arroz con pollo there. Annatto is frequently used in Puerto Rican cooking exceptionally in rice dishes like arroz con gandules (rice with pork and pigeon peas) and arroz con maiz (rice with corn and sausage). Beer is in many Puerto Rican dish like pollo guisado (braised stewed chicken) and asopao de pollo (chicken rice stew). Arroz con pollo and most Puerto Rican rice dish are highly seasoned with sofrito, which is another key ingredient in arroz con pollo.

Food writer Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, while pointing to the international aspects of the dish, notes that origin in the Spanish forms of pilaf, and already reflected international influences: chicken was brought from India and rice from Asia; saffron (used for the yellow colour in Spain, instead of annatto) was introduced by Phoenician traders; tomatoes and peppers (also known as sofrito) are natives of the Americas.

Ingredients

8 chicken wings and 1 cut chicken breast (really you can use whatever chicken parts you want)

7 Poblano peppers, washed and with seeds removed

1 garlic clove

1 white onion

2 1/2 cups of rice placed in a pan of hot water for 15 minutes; rinsed and strained

2 spoonfuls of oil

5 cups of water

16 fresh clams, cleaned

2 spoonfuls of fresh cilantro leaves or parsley.

Procedure

Blend the peppers, garlic and onion.

In a frying pan cooks the rice in oil.

When the rice turns into a gold color discard excess oil.

Add the blended mixture to the rice and allow to dry a little bit.

Add the 5 cups of water, the clams and chicken.

Cover the pan and cook with a low flame.

Decorate with cilantro leaves or parsley.

Serve.