Abuela Apolonia’s Arroz con Pollo de la Mancha

By dtrumble

This is Abuela's recipe that she would make for us when she used to live in the big house in La Mancha. The aroma brings me back to my childhood in Spain. Note from Abuela: never, ever use aromatic rice, it will ruin it.

Ingredients

• • 4 Cups Water
• • 2 bay leaf
• • ½ red pepper, cut in big pieces
• • Two chicken breasts or 4-5 thighs (with or without bones and skin): if using boned, cut in pieces
• • 1/2 medium onion, diced
• • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• • Small red and green pepper, diced, plus a few pieces reserved
• • Tomato, chopped
• • Salt, to taste
• • Chicken paste, to taste (Penzey's is the best!)
• • 1 Cup Rice (ideally round rice; long-grain ok...but never aromatic like Jasmin)
• • Pinch of good Saffron (in the USA, Penzey's is the best!)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Put water, bay leaf, red pepper in a pot. Bring to boil.
2. Meanwhile, saute chicken breast or thighs in olive oil until golden (if bone-in and/or skin-on, debone and remove skin and cut into pieces). Add to boiling water.
3. Saute onion, garlic, red and green pepper in pan with chicken drippings. When cooked, add diced tomato. Add to pot and boil together with chicken.
4. Add salt and chicken paste to taste. Cook for about 10 minutes.
5. Add rice and a pinch of saffron.
6. Cover and cook, stirring frequently, until rice is done and liquid has been absorbed. Remove pot from heat, and remove bay leaves.
7. Add reserved pepper pieces, stir well to release the pepper’s oils, and serve with crusty bread.