Arroz Con Pollo

The straightforward titled Mexican Cooking is one of series of regional cookbooks, of which I've bought several from the markdown shelves at Uwajimaya. I've had this one for years, but don't think we've every used a recipe from it until now. As a Saturday dinner, we thought Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken) would be perfect, giving us plenty of leftovers for Sunday lunch or dinner, and for the week. The simplicity of it also turned out to be perfect, because I woke up at 4am with a migraine, then woke up at 7am sick from the medication I took for the migraine, and Dan has contracted a head cold. We're a mess today, and Mexican comfort food (sin queso) was just what the doctor ordered. Below is my adaptation of the recipe, because it was a little confusing at times.



Arroz con Pollo
4 lbs of chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped finely
At least 2 cloves garlic, minced
At least 2 serrano chilies, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1/4 tspn whole cumin seed
1/4 tspn saffron
4 cups chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
2 cups of rice

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add chicken and fry until golden, but don't worry about cooking it through at this point. Drain and place the chicken in a large stockpot. In the same skillet, fry the chopped onion and garlic until transluscent. Add the onion mixture to the stock pot. Add chilies, canned tomatoes (with liquid), cumin, saffron, and chicken stock to pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for half an hour. In the same skillet over medium heat, add a little more oil (if needed) and pour in rice. Fry the dry rice until golden, stirring frequently. When the rice is golden, remove from heat. Add the rice to the stockpot, mix well, and bring it back to a boil. Continue boiling until the rice has absorbed the visible liquid, stirring frequently (10-20 minutes). Chicken may break up a bit during stirring, which is fine. Reduce heat to very low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.