Arroz con Pollo

Serves 4

Meat:
4 bone in skin on whole chicken legs (thigh and drumstick together)
1 lime
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
salt and pepper
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Rice:
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tomatoes, cubed
1 tsp thyme
salt and pepper
2 cups white rice
3 cups chicken stock

This is one of those recipes that is all about prep work because when you get ready to put it together you won't have time for chopping and seasoning, so plan ahead. Four hours before you plan to cook put your chicken in a large bowl and squeeze the juice of the lime over it, then slice the remainder of the lime and add it to the chicken. Sprinkle the garlic, cayenne, cumin and salt and pepper over the chicken pieces and then toss it all together. Make sure it all gets mixed well. Let it marinade for at least four hours, or up to overnight. If you refrigerate it be sure to return it to room temperature before cooking. If you put the chicken in cold it will significantly lengthen the amount of time needed to cook, which usually translates to scorching the bottom 1/4-1/5 inch of your rice.

Chop onion and red pepper and put in a bowl with 6 cloves of minced garlic and the cumin and cayenne pepper and set aside. Chop tomatoes and put them into a separate bowl with the thyme and salt and pepper. Let those sit for a few minutes.

Put the cup of flour in a large bowl or baggie. If you like your chicken a little extra spicy then add another teaspoon of cayenne to the flour. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Dredge chicken through the flour mixture and place it in the pan. Brown both sides of the chicken in the olive oil. You're not looking to cook it all the way through, just bring it to a nice rich brown. Set the chicken aside and put the onion mixture in the pan and saute just until the onions are clear. Add the dry rice and let it sit for a moment before adding the tomatoes. Give it all a couple stirs and then pour in the chicken stock. Make sure everything is level in the pan and lay your chicken pieces on top. Bring it back up to a boil before putting the lid on, then reduce the heat to a simmer and let it do its thing for 30 minutes.

Check after half an hour and if your rice looks done then check the temperature of the chicken, it should be 180° in the center of the meat - be sure you're not testing it at the bone. If your rice is dry but your chicken isn't close then go ahead and add a bit (like 1/4 cup) more broth or white wine.

Recipe by: Kelly Sink

Arroz con Pollo is one of those super-versitile dishes that no two people ever make the same. Years ago I was taught to make it by a Puerto Rican guy I used to date. I've fine-tuned it to my personal tastes over the years so this isn't quite the way he made it, but it's a good jumping-off point for you to find your own version. Some of the variations I've seen, and sometimes use, include adding chorizo or prosciutto or ham to give the chicken more depth. You can also add a hot pepper (jalapeno, or even habanero if you're feeling brave) to the onion and red pepper mixture to spice it up a bit, or celery to give it a bit of crunch. Or add olives or peas or capers to the rice, but if you're adding frozen peas stir them in at the end because they'll overcook if you put them in for the whole simmer. I've even added pine nuts to it when I have them on hand. Go crazy, but keep a couple things in mind: First, whatever you add should be in pieces no larger than 1/4 inch square; any bigger will mess with the overall texture. Second, this is a latin dish so try to keep more or less in line with latin traditions.

Enjoy!