A Perfect Sunday
- Claudia Muñiz
- Apr 23, 2017
- 3 min read
I hate Sundays. It is not a great start, I know, but what can I do. I hate Sundays with a passion. The only thing that makes bearable to me this slow-paced, fast-depressing day is cooking for my family. Cooking and sharing an indulgent, big in flavor, high in carbs meal. And what could fit the bill better than Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera? Nothing, nothing at all.
Arroz con Pollo a la Chorrera is for Cubans what Asopao de Pollo is for Puerto Ricans. This sort of paella/risotto is known in Cuba for bringing families together around the table. It is a Sunday meal. A really good one.
Let's start then with "el pollo del Arroz con Pollo." Here are the ingredients for a family of five:
- 5 Chicken thighs and legs, cut.
- 1 cup of rice (Valencia variety)
- 2 cups of chicken stock.
- 1 yellow onion, diced.
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced.
- 3 red bell peppers.
- 1 medium carrot, diced.
- 1 teaspoon of cumin.
- 1 teaspoon of pimentón de la vera.
- 1 teaspoon of oregano.
- 1 bay leaf.
- a few saffron threads.
- 1 teaspoon of capers.
- 1/3 cup of green olives.
- 1/2 cup of petit pois (These are just green peas but I looove the way it sounds in French and it is the way we say it in Cuba: peti ˈpwɑ)
- 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
- 1/3 cup of cooking wine.
- 1/3 cup of tomato sauce (I make my own. Recipe coming soon).
- 1 beer (Oh yeah!)
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Chopped parsley to decorate.
Phewww, that is a lot! But do not worry, it is easier than it seems.
First marinate the chicken (skin and all) with the pimentón, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, salt, pepper and cooking wine for at least one hour, but I highly recommend to leave it 24 hours in that succulent juice. Roast two of the red peppers in the oven at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Take the skin off and chop them in long strips. Reserve for later. Dice the remaining pepper and also save it for later.
Heat the chicken stock and dissolve the saffron in it. In a big pot, heat the oil and add the chicken. Cook it until golden brown and a little bit crispy (High heat). Please do not throw away the juice. It would be the biggest sacrilege since that is the base for our delicious meal. Once the chicken is beautiful and golden, take it out and reserve. In the same pot, with all the good stuff that the browning of the chicken has left behind, add the carrot, onion and diced red pepper. Cook until soft. Then add the rice and toss it a little. When everything is perfectly combined, add the tomato sauce and the chicken juices. Let the alcohol from the cooking wine evaporate. Then add the chicken and chicken stock. Taste it and add salt if needed. Cook covered at medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes or until the grain is soft but not too much, so, keep an eye on it.
Once your rice have opened a little, add the beer (I always manage myself to have a least one quarter of that beer. Cheers!), also add capers and olives. Let them get alone for a little bit. Then turn off the heat and cover the pot with a cloth for 10 minutes. After that time the rice should be soupy and gorgeous. Decorate with the strips of roasted peppers and chopped parsley. Take the pot to a table full of hungry family members and enjoy. Usually is served with Tostones (fried green plantains, also coming soon!!!).
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