Arroz con Pollo

Method

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1. Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 teaspoon of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a wide, deep 30 cm pan over medium-high heat and brown the chicken skin side down for 8 minutes. Turn and brown for 3 minutes more, then lift onto a plate.

   Mark done Start 8 min timer

2. Leave about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan. Cook the onion and green pepper in it for 6 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika and turmeric and cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 6 min timer

3. Stir in the rice and cook for 1 minute, until the grains are coated. Pour in the stock, add the olives and the remaining salt and bring to a boil.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Nestle the chicken into the rice, skin side up. Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

5. Scatter the peas and red pepper strips over the top, replace the lid and cook for 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

6. Fluff the rice with a fork, scatter with the coriander and serve with the lime wedges.

   Mark done

Chef’s Tips

• Brown the chicken hard and leave the fat in the pan. The sofrito and the rice take their colour and flavour from it.
• Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks. The steam is what cooks the grains, and the top layer stays hard if it escapes.
• Leave the pan covered off the heat for 10 minutes. The rice finishes in its own steam and does not stick.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Fried sweet plantains
• A green salad
• Black beans

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat covered with a splash of stock. Freeze for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.