Arroz Imperial Con Pollo Imperial Rice With Chicken Food

ARROZ IMPERIAL CON POLLO - IMPERIAL RICE WITH CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken and place in a stock pot.
• Approximately 1-1/2 quarts to 2 quarts of water to fully cover meat.
• Bring to a boil and simmer with 1 onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 sticks celery, 2 carrots, all chopped into large chunks, and salt & pepper to taste.
• Cook uncovered until the meat falls apart - keep checking, the broth and chicken.
• Remove chicken and reserve the broth.(You will use some of the broth to make the rice).
• Skim excess fat, if any, from the top and strain the broth.
• When cool enough, shred chicken into small pieces by hand.
• In a large frying pan, saute the bacon briefly.
• Drain most, but not all of the excess fat.
• Add a tiny bit of olive oil and heat.
• Add onion, green pepper, green onions, oregano, and bay leaf.
• Saute onions until translucent.
• Add the garlic and saute for one additional minute, stirring occasionally.
• Add tomato sauce, chicken and sherry.
• Bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer(uncovered) approximately 15 minutes to thicken sauce.
• Add peas, pimentos, lime juice and pimento stuffed olives, during the last five minutes of cooking.
• Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• In a large covered pan, mix the rice with the chicken broth and/or paprika.
• Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat until the rice is thoroughly cooked and most of the broth absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• Add the mayonnaise to the cooked rice, a little at a time, and mix thoroughly.
• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Spread 1/3 of the rice mixture onto the bottom of a 13x9x2" (we use a foil baking pan - ease of clean-up).
• Layer chicken mixture on top of the rice.
• Then add another layer of rice mixture.
• Generously sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on top of this layer.
• Add the remaining rice.
• Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on the top layer, then spread the shredded Monterey Jack completely over the top.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese melts completely and bubbles.
• Enjoy, you've earned it!

ARROZ CON POLLO (RICE WITH CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs to the Dutch oven and cook until browned on both sides, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken pieces with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining drumsticks and thighs.
• Add the onions and peppers to the pot and cook until the onions are translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the paprika, cumin, saffron and bay leaves, stirring until incorporated. Next, add the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, beer, rice and 1 teaspoon salt; mix well. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
• Return the chicken pieces to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven, add the peas and pimientos, then cover and return to the oven until the rice is completely tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

RICE WITH CHICKEN: ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and lime juice. In a large casserole or dutch oven, heat the olive oil. Brown the chicken, remove the chicken from the pan, and set aside.
• Add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the casserole. Cook until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, cumin, and bay leaf; cook for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken, wine, beer, and sherry, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, and adjust the seasoning. Add the drained rice and the saffron.
• Bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and cook in the oven for 20 minutes.
• Remove the rice from the oven and add the peas, fluffing the rice and mixing in the peas at the same time. Serve hot.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir chicken pieces until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Cook and stir onion, green bell pepper, minced garlic, and whole garlic cloves in the same Dutch oven until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Return chicken to the onion mixture. Add tomatoes, rice, salt, oregano, black pepper, and bay leaf. Pour in enough chicken stock to cover all the ingredients.
• Bake chicken-rice mixture in the preheated oven until rice is tender and chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• Stir peas, olives, raisins, and pimento peppers into the chicken-rice mixture. Bake until warmed through, an additional 15 minutes.

ARROZ CON POLLO (CHICKEN AND RICE)

Steps:

• Using paper towels, pat chicken dry. Season chicken with Adobo. Heat oil in caldero, or large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook chicken, in batches, until brown on all sides, 7-10 minutes; set aside.
• Stir onions, peppers and garlic into pot; cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add rice, bouillon and Sazon to pot; cook, stirring constantly, until rice is completely coated in oil mixture, about 1 minute.
• Stir in 3 cups water; bring to a boil. Add alcaparrado and chicken (skin-side up) to pot. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer until water is absorbed, rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• To serve, using fork, fluff rice; garnish with pimiento strips and peas.

LOW-CARB ARROZ IMPERIAL (IMPERIAL RICE)

Steps:

• Making the Chicken.
• Wash chicken and place in stock pot. Add enough water to cover meat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, uncovered, until the meat is tender and falls from bone - approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken and keep the broth which you will use to make the cauliflower rice.
• As an alternative, you can purchase 1-2 cooked rotisserie chickens depending on their size. Pull apart the meat and use the chicken bones to make the broth. You need about 3 lbs of meat.
• When completely cooled, skin and shred the chicken into small pieces by hand or with two forks. Be sure to check the meat with your hands so as not leave any small bones, cartilage or tough pieces in the mix.
• In a large pan, cook the bacon and discard the excess fat. Chop the bacon and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ onion, chopped, ½ green pepper, chopped and sauté until onion is translucent. Add 3 garlic cloves, diced and sauté for another minute. Add shredded chicken and 4 oz tomato sauce. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add lime juice and mix. Set aside.
• Making the Cauliflower Rice.
• Remove and discard leaves and larger stems from the cauliflower head. Break florets apart, rinse and spin dry. Remove smaller stems and separate. Grate the cauliflower florets with a hand grater or food processor grater attachment (much easier). Coarse chop the smaller stems and run through food processor grater as well. Otherwise, you can also discard the small stems. Combine into a microwave safe bowl with two bay leaves and microwave on high for 6 minutes, covered. Remove the bay leaves.
• In a Dutch oven or large pot, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, ½ onion, chopped, ½ green pepper, chopped. Sauté until onion is translucent. Add 3 diced garlic cloves and sauté for another minute. Add one cup of chicken broth and ½ cup of beer (optional). Add one tsp each of oregano cumin. Add 1 tsp of Bijol, saffron or other yellow colorant such as achiote. Add cooked, grated cauliflower and stir well. Simmer covered for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasional until cauliflower is tender. Add the frozen peas during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste.
• It is OK to have some fluid left in the bottom of the pot. Just transfer the cauliflower to a mixing bowl avoiding the fluid at the bottom; then mix in ½ cup of grated Parmesan.
• Assembling the Casserole.
• In a 9" x 13" baking pan or casserole dish, spread one 1/3 of cauliflower rice along the bottom of the pan, patting it down firmly.
• Spread 2 tbls of the mayonnaise on top of the cauliflower rice.
• Spread ½ of the chicken mixture to create the next layer, patting down firmly.
• Sprinkle ¼ cup of Parmesan over the chicken.
• Add another (1/3) layer of cauliflower rice.
• Top with 2 tbls of the mayonnaise.
• At the final layer of chicken sprinkled.
• Sprinkle the last of the parmesan.
• Add the final layer of the cauliflower rice, patting down firmly.
• Spread remaining 2 tbls of mayonnaise.
• Spread the grated Monterey Jack, or other mild cheese over the top of it all.
• To recap, these are the layers:.
• 1) Layer of Cauliflower Rice.
• 2) Mayo.
• 3) Layer of Chicken.
• 4) Parmesan.
• 5) Layer of Cauliflower Rice.
• 6) Mayo.
• 7) Layer of Chicken.
• 8) Parmesan.
• 9) Layer of Cauliflower Rice.
• 10) Mayo.
• 11) Monterrey Jack.
• Place in oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Presentation.
• There are a variety of ways to present the dish. Red pimento strips and slices of hard boiled eggs are often used to decorate the dish. A search for "Arroz Imperial" on Google Images will give you lots of ideas.
• Serve hot with a side salad, tomatoes or avocado slices. For those not on a low carb diet, the dish can be served with fried sweet plantains. Makes 8 meal-sized servings.