I have to admit that the inspiration for this dish came from an effort to clean out my freezer. We always have some frozen protein stashed somewhere in there, since I like to buy the family-size package of meat when I go shopping, especially if it's on sale. I freeze what I don't use right away, and save it for a rainy day, which obviously comes in handy when I haven't had the chance to go shopping.
When I was searching through the dark recesses of my freezer, I came upon a bag of chicken legs. This was the ultimate score, because my family absolutely prefers the dark meat of chicken thighs and drumsticks! Yes, we have taught our children well.
As you may know, there is a huge variety of ways to prepare chicken legs. My husband, Mike Salzinski, is an accomplished chef instructor at Le Cordon Bleu in River North. Between the two of us we whip up some pretty delicious meals, and when Mike suggested we make Arroz con Pollo with our chicken legs, I was completely sold!
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) is the perfect one-pot-meal where chicken, spices, and vegetables cook together to create an immensely flavorful dish with very minimal cleanup. In many ways it is closely related to paella in that you have spices, protein and rice all cooked together in one pot. The major difference is that paella typically includes the use of saffron, and more often than not uses a short-grain rice such as arborio. You'll also see different proteins used in paella depending on whether it's prepared near the coast (seafood) or inland (chicken).
There are three major parts to this recipe that are important to understand:
- The first is the marinade for the chicken, which involves a blend of spices and herbs including cumin, dried oregano, sweet paprika and smoky paprika. The important skill to note here is that the spices get toasted in the pan which develops a very rich foundation of flavor. If you want to learn more about spices, rubs and salts join us for our Spice of Life Class on April 20th!
- The next important technique is the searing of the chicken. This is a critical step of browning the surface of meats, known to chefs and food lovers as the Maillard reaction. This step creates hundreds of different flavor compounds in addition to producing that beautiful golden brown color.
- Last, but not least is to consider the cooking liquids. There are two in this recipe, and both play an important role. The first is chicken stock. Your Arroz con Pollo will only be as good as your stock. Either learn how to make your own in our Culinary Boot Camp classes, or purchase a good-quality product from the store.
- The second liquid involves the tomatoes included in the recipe. You can use canned, crushed tomatoes like the recipe states, or use a good prepared salsa like we did at home. The salsa adds a little more zip!
Now that you have the tools and knowledge to prepare Arroz con Pollo, I hope you jump at the opportunity. Here's The Chopping Block's version.
Arroz con Pollo
Yield: 2-4 servings
Active time: 40 minutes
Start to finish: 1 hour, 45 minutes (includes marinating)
For the marinade:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken thighs, bone in
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Spanish chorizo links, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 onion, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup long-grain white rice
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, rough chopped
- To make the marinade, combine the olive oil, cumin, oregano, paprikas, salt and pepper. Rub each piece of chicken with the spice paste, and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
- Heat a heavy, wide pot over medium heat and add the olive oil. Sauté the chorizo until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon, and set aside on a plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the pan.
- Sear the spice-rubbed chicken, skin side down, until golden brown and crisp. Flip and repeat. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the onion and pepper to the pan, and sauté until lightly caramelized. Stir in the garlic and bay leaf and cook an additional minute or until aromatic.
- Mix in the tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Return the chorizo and chicken to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
- Stir in the rice, and continue to cook, covered, until the rice has absorbed the liquid, about 18 minutes.
- Scatter the olives on top of the chicken and rice and serve.
If you're looking for more opportunities to work with chicken, I highly suggest our Chicken 101 cooking class. You can find it on our class calendars, including our just-released April calendars.