Arroz Con Pollo Mccalls Cooking School Food

ARROZ CON POLLO (MCCALL'S COOKING SCHOOL)

Steps:

• Wash chicken pieces under cold running water; drain well. Wipe dry with paper towels so fat won't spatter when chicken is browning. Combine oregano, pepper and 2 tsp salt. Sprinkle chicken all over with mixture; rub in well. Let stand 10 minutes.
• In heavy, 6-quart round or oval Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Brown chicken a third at a time, until golden-brown all over, using tongs to turn chicken-this takes about 30 minutes in all. Remove chicken as it browns. Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Wash green pepper; cut into quarters; remove ribs and seeds; cut into lengthwise strips, 1/4 inch wide. To drippings in Dutch oven, add onion, garlic, green pepper, bay leaf and red pepper; saute, stirring, over medium heat until onion is tender-5 minutes.
• Using back of spoon, crush saffron threads on small piece of foil, or use a mortar and pestle. Add with 2 tsp salt and the rice to Dutch oven; cook, stirring, until rice is lightly browned-about 10 minutes. Add undrained tomatoes and chicken broth.
• Arrange browned chicken pieces over rice mixture. Bring just to boiling, uncovered. Bake in oven, tightly covered, 1 hour. Remove from oven; add 1/2 cup water. Do not stir. Sprinkle peas and olives over top. Drain pimientos; cut into 1/4-inch strips.
• Arrange pimiento strips attractively over top. Bake, covered, 20 minutes longer, or until chicken is tender, peas are cooked and rice has absorbed all liquid. Remove from oven. Let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Serve right from Dutch oven. Serves 6.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the chicken in an ovensafe baking dish. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use tongs to turn the chicken and evenly coat. Bake for 15 minutes until browned but not cooked all the way through (it will finish cooking with the rice).
• Meanwhile, add the remaining tablespoon olive oil to a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the rice and stir to coat.
• Toast the rice, stirring occasionally, until it is lightly golden, about 2 minutes. Stir in the onion and garlic and continue cooking until the rice is just lightly browned and the vegetables are starting to soften, about 2 minutes more. Make sure the garlic does not brown.
• Add the tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, bouillon and 3 cups water. Stir to combine. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken to the rice in an even layer, skin-side up and not overlapping. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Prepare the adobo by whisking the ingredients together in a bowl, or blending in a small food processor, pilón or mortar and pestle.
• Pat the chicken dry, then place in a large bowl or zip-top bag. Pour prepared adobo over chicken. Toss well to combine, then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap, or seal the bag, and let the chicken rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you have the time, marinate for several hours or overnight to make the chicken extra tender and flavorful.
• Prepare the sofrito: In a large food processor or blender, blend the peppers and garlic until smooth. Add the onion and blend until smooth, then add the culantro and cilantro and blend until smooth. (The preparation may produce more sofrito than needed for this recipe, but you can store additional sofrito in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)
• Add the rice to a medium bowl, then rinse with several rounds of cool water, pouring through a fine-mesh strainer until water runs out clear.
• Once chicken is marinated, heat olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high. When the oil is simmering, working in batches if necessary, add chicken in one layer and brown for 7 to 10 minutes per batch, turning several times to evenly brown.
• Meanwhile, bring chicken broth (or water) to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce to a simmer until ready to use.
• Add sofrito, bay leaves and annatto or paprika to pot with chicken and stir well. Reduce heat to medium, and sauté until liquid is mostly evaporated and sofrito thickens to a paste, about 7 to 10 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, until the sauce darkens. Add the rinsed rice, olives and capers (if using), and salt and pepper, and fold in to ensure that the rice is fully coated and the chicken is evenly distributed.
• Pour in hot stock, then simmer, uncovered, over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring only 2 to 3 times and shaking the pot every few minutes to keep rice level. (The liquid surrounding the rice will lower by about 1 inch.) Watch the rice very closely: The window between just right and overcooked is small, and difficult to predict, but you'll become an expert at this over time.
• Once you start to spot lots of little bubbles on the surface but see no more pronounced liquid on top, top with the lid, reduce heat to low and cook until the rice is al dente, about 15 to 20 minutes, shaking pot a few times. Once liquid is almost entirely evaporated, sprinkle thawed peas on top.
• Working directly in the pot, using 2 forks, pull apart chicken thighs until shredded. Gently fluff the rice, bringing grains from the bottom to the top. Return the lid and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with lime wedges, and serve with salted avocado and tomato slices (or a simple green salad). The dish keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days.

SPANISH-STYLE CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON RICE (ARROZ CON POLLO)

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet (at least 2 inches deep) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown chicken on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer chicken with tongs to a plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet and add onion, bell pepper, and salt to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add garlic, paprika, and rice, then cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine and boil, uncovered, 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes with juice, chicken broth, saffron, and bay leaf. Nestle chicken in rice, adding any juices from plate.
• Cook, covered, over low heat until chicken is cooked through, rice is tender, and most of liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in peas, olives, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover skillet and let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf.