By LIDDIE MARTINEZ
Española Valley
Arroz con Pollo is one of those comfort dishes that has a million faces with as many variations as cooks who make it. This dish can be a soupy comfort food eaten in well-worn pajamas and fuzzy slippers or a showcase dish served on fine china as a bed of fluffy perfection adorned with exotic spices – it all depends on the mood and the cook.
I did include a version in The Chile Line: Historic Northern New Mexican Recipes and it is a time-tested, well-loved, traditional, rustic dish. This version, while similar, is the one I use when I want to replenish my chicken stock supply and use the not so perfect veggies in the crisper. I also bone the chicken to add later for a more refined dish.
Arroz con Pollo is a distant, kissing cousin of the King of Chicken and Rice dishes, paella. It is said that the dish evolved from making good use of leftover protein from the lavish banquets set for King Muhammad back in 8th century Spain.
I can certainly imagine banquets with stuffed birds and roasted meats spread out at the Alhambra and it is certainly possible that the leftovers would be mixed with rice since rice came to Spain with the Moors from Asia through Africa and across the Straights of Gibraltar, but it is much more likely that the dish was a farmer’s invention using a new staple, rice, to stretch out their available protein (chicken) as far as possible to feed many mouths for multiple meals. Remember, necessity is the mother of invention.
At any rate, the Arroz con Pollo was a sensational hit then as it is now and although there are a multitude of rice dishes invented on its heels, Arroz con Pollo has stood the test of time and can be found in abundant variations across Latin America.
When I am fortunate enough to find a nice, fat chicken at the grocer, I make chicken stock. It is much more flavorful and less expensive than anything you can find at the grocery store. The base of chicken stock is chopped onion, celery and carrots. Chop and sauté the mirepoix in good olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, chop all other vegetables available that have seen better days but were still good to eat. On this particular day I added green peppers, zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes. When the onions are transparent, add the rest of the vegetables, place the washed chicken on top and covered everything with cold water. Once the pot comes to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. Set the timer for 1 hour. When the hour is up, turn off heat but let the chicken sit in the pot until it is cool enough to handle. Then remove the chicken to a platter and strain the vegetables from the stock. I freeze the stock in 2 cup containers and give my chickens the veggies as a treat. Bone the chicken and set aside or refrigerate if you want to do this ahead and make the Arroz con Pollo another day.
One final note: this recipe does not call for chile but you can add a cup of green chile that has been roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped at the end when the chicken is added.
Arroz Con Pollo
1 whole chicken, cooked and boned
2 cups medium or long grain rice
½ onion, chopped
4 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
5 small tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
10 baby potatoes, peeled
3 Tbsps. flour
¼ cup olive oil
8 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 tsps. Sazon Chicken Seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
Cilantro & fresh lemon slices for garnish
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté onion, celery and carrots in olive oil. When onions are transparent, add flour and stir cooking for a minute or two. Then add tomatoes, potatoes and chicken stock. Bring to boil then add chicken seasoning, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low simmer, cover and set timer for 40 minutes.
When 15 minutes is left on the timer, heat a cast iron skillet and brown rice over medium heat in dry pan stirring constantly. It will take about 12-15 minutes to brown. Add the chicken to the pot and stir, then add the browned rice all at once. Stir in water and bring the pot back to a boil, then cover with tight fitting lid and reduce heat to low simmer and time for 25 minutes. Turn off the flame when the timer goes off but leave the pot covered and do not disturb for 10 full minutes.
Serve garnished with cilantro leaves and lemon slices. Serves 10.
Click here for information about The Chile Line: Historic Northern New Mexican Recipes cookbook by Liddie Martinez.
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October 01, 2020 at 08:04PM
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Liddie's Traditional New Mexican Dishes: Arroz Con Pollo - Los Alamos Daily Post
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