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Ingredients
- 3 cups arborio rice
- 2 cups warm water
- big pinch of saffron threads
- 1 tsp. annatto powder (If you can’t find this, just omit or substitute 1 tsp. sweet paprika)
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 large red or orange bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 slices dry rubbed, center cut bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used Wellshire Farms brand Black Forest variety) (optional – you can also sub black forest ham)
- 2 tsp. cumin
- 1 tbsp. sweet paprika
- pinch salt
- 8 oz. canned tomato sauce (not marinara)
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or same amount chicken breasts)
- 1 pilsner-style beer, such as Corona
- 4 cups chicken stock
- juice of 1/2 lime
- salt to taste
Details
Adapted from bitchincamero.com
Preparation
Step 1
Place the rice in a medium-sized bowl. Stir the saffron threads and annatto powder into the warm water, then add the water to the bowl and give it a quick stir. Set aside.
Make the sofrito. Set a large (7.5 qt is best), heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic, onions, bell pepper and bacon and cook for 5 minutes, or until the bacon fat begins to render out a bit. Stir in the cumin, sweet paprika and salt and continue to cook for another 5 – 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent and the pepper is soft.
Once the sofrito is done, add the tomato sauce and chicken to the pot, stirring to ensure the chicken is coated, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 15 minutes, turning the chicken over every few minutes.
When the chicken is mostly cooked through, add the beer and chicken stock and raise the heat to high. When the pot begins to boil, add the entire contents of the bowl with the rice. This may seem like a lot of liquid, but it’ll thicken up and the final consistency will be like a very wet risotto.
Bring the liquid back to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Continue to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, stir in the lime juice, salt to taste and let the pot sit for 5 – 10 minutes, uncovered.
Serve in deep bowls with crusty bread or crackers. You can also garnish with jarred pimentos or pimento-stuffed olives (optional).
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