Mama Rosita's Arroz Con Pollo

Whenever I make this dish, I think of my childhood because it is just like how my grandma used to make it! Like many of my recipes, it takes a little time but is not actually difficult to put together. I usually recommend simpler preparations for our American Bresse chicken, since it is so flavorful on its own, but I think that this recipe is "Bresse Worthy" thanks to its subtle flavor. This recipe requires cut up chicken (we almost always offer our Bresse whole), but cutting one up easy with a sharp knife and a good pair of kitchen shears. A good tutorial is here.

Ingredients

1 2-4 lb Flight Path Farm chicken, cut into pieces

1 cup long grain rice

1 to 1.5 cups chicken broth

½ cup white wine or sherry

1 small onion, chopped (around 1 cup)

1-2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

½ cup chopped bell peppers (any color)

1-2 Tablespoons capers ~12 small Spanish olives (pimento stuffed)

1 cup frozen peas, at room temperature

¼ teaspoon Saffron threads (a couple of pinches)

¼ - ½ teaspoon oregano

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

¼ cup sliced red pimientos (from a jar; substitute roasted red bell pepper if you can't find pimientos)

4 oz. Parmesan cheese (shredded or grated)

Seasoned salt (e.g. Lowry’s Seasoned Salt)

Ground black pepper to taste

1. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces on both sides. Heat 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the chicken over medium heat until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes per side)

2. Transfer the chicken to a second pan. Pour wine over the chicken, cover and sauté at low heat until you are ready for step 5 below.

3. In the original pan, sauté the onions until translucent (around 5-6 minutes), add garlic, tomatoes, peppers and sauté an additional 2-3 minutes.

4. Push the onion mixture to the side of the pan. Add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the empty part of the pan and sauté the dry rice for 1-2 minutes. Mix the sautéed rice and the onion mixture.

5. Remove the chicken pieces from the second pan and set aside. Pour the broth in the second pan into a large measuring cup; add additional chicken broth to bring it up to the 1 ¾ cup level. Pour the broth over the rice and onion mixture.

6. Add the Saffron, oregano, capers, olives and peas to the rice and broth mixture.

7. Nestle the chicken pieces into the rice and broth mixture.

8. Cover and cook the rice, broth and chicken for ~20 minutes or until the rice is done.

9. Top the rice and chicken with the cheese and sliced red pimientos. Keep warm until ready to serve (it can sit for an hour or more). Serves 2-4 as a main dish.