Serves8
- Active time:1 hr
- Start to finish:2 1/2 hr
ADAPTED FROM CARIDAD YANES NIEBLAS
September 2007
Staff photographer Romulo Yanes knows arroz con pollo—his mother, Caridad Yanes Nieblas, made it often. This version, based on her recipe, creates a very moist rice, infused with intensely flavorful chorizo and a generous amount of beer, which contributes a malty tang. We’ve removed the skin from the chicken to help the garlicky marinade penetrate the meat.
For marinating chicken
-
3
large garlic cloves
-
2
tablespoons
distilled white vinegar
-
2
teaspoons
dried oregano, crumbled
-
4
chicken breast halves with bone, halved crosswise
-
4
chicken drumsticks
-
4
chicken thighs
For rice
-
3
oz
Spanish chorizo (cured sausage), skin discarded and sausage cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
-
1
tablespoon
annatto oil or olive oil
-
2
medium onions, chopped
-
1
green bell pepper, chopped
-
3
large garlic cloves, chopped
-
2
teaspoons
ground cumin
-
2
teaspoons
dried oregano
-
1 1/2
teaspoons
paprika
-
2
Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
-
1
lb
tomatoes, seeded and chopped
-
1
(12-oz) bottle beer (not dark)
-
1 1/2
cups
reduced-sodium chicken broth
-
2
cups
long-grain white rice (14 oz)
-
1/4
cup
drained rinsed bottled pimiento or roasted red-pepper strips
Marinate chicken:
-
Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 2 teaspoons salt, then transfer to a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and oregano.
-
Remove skin and excess fat from chicken, then toss chicken with marinade until coated and marinate, covered and chilled, at least 1 hour.
Cook chicken and rice:
-
Cook chorizo in annatto oil in a 6- to 7-quart heavy pot (12 inches wide) over medium-high heat, stirring, until some fat is rendered, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
-
Add cumin, oregano, paprika, 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and bay leaves and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
-
Add chicken with marinade to chorizo mixture and cook, uncovered, over medium heat, stirring frequently, 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beer, broth, and rice and bring to a boil, making sure rice is submerged.
-
Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover mixture directly with a round of parchment or wax paper and cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Cook, stirring once or twice, until rice is tender, 20 to 30 minutes.
-
Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Discard parchment paper and bay leaves, then scatter pimiento strips over rice.
Cooks’ note: Chicken can be marinated up to 2 hours.
