Arroz con Pollo

By Laura77

Arroz con pollo, or "rice with chicken," originated in the Andalusia region of Spain. It shares similarities with several West African dishes such as jollof rice, and may in fact have origins there. The Spanish version as was introduced to the New World colonies, and arroz con pollo is very popular in the Caribbean, especially in Cuba and Puerto Rico.

Ingredients

• Chicken, cut into serving pieces -- 2 1/2 to 3 pounds
• 1 Lemon or lime, juice only
• 3 to 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• Salt and pepper -- to season
• 3 T Olive oil
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Green or red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 to 5 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 cup Ham (optional), chopped
• 3 cups Rice
• 1 cup Tomato, seeded and chopped
• 3-1/2 cups Chicken stock or water
• 10 to 15 Green olives
• 1 cup Peas
• 2 t Oregano
• Salt and pepper -- to taste
• 1/2 bunch Cilantro chopped

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from goya.com

Preparation

Step 1

In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with the lemon or lime juice, garlic, salt and pepper and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium flame. Pat the chicken pieces dry and sauté them in small batches to brown on all sides. Remove to a platter and set aside.

Add a little more oil to the pot if needed and sauté the onion, peppers, garlic and optional ham until the onion is translucent but not browned.
Stir in the rice and tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Then add the stock or water, olives, peas, oregano, salt and pepper. Lay the browned chicken pieces over the top. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and let rest, covered, 10 minutes. Toss all the ingredients gently with a fork, garnish with the chopped cilantro and serve.