Arroz con Pollo

I'll be honest.  I didn't decide on what to make for Valentines Day dinner until about 2:00 the day of.  I was about to give up and make peanut butter and jelly, when I stumbled upon this recipe at my all time favorite cooking blog, Joy the Baker.  She is amazing and you should always always read her posts.

Joy described this as a romantic meal for two, and I'm not going to lie, I kind of doubted the romance of what is essentially chicken and rice, but it sounded good, so I went for it.

I will never subtly doubt Joy again!  She was right.  Arroz con Pollo is sexy food. 

It's not sequins and red lips sexy.  It's tight jeans, heels and a tank sexy.  It's casual tousled hair and lipgloss sexy. 

I'm pretty sure Ben fell in love with me all over again once he took his first bite.  Want someone to fall in love with you?  Make them Arroz con Pollo, then send them along with the leftovers.  It will work. 

As many good things do, start with wine and add a pinch of Saffron.

Use cheap wine because Saffron?  Not so cheap.  Joy's blog noted this as the case, however, being a first time Saffron buyer, I was shocked at this expensive little spice.  It took me a moment to wrap my head around the cost of Saffron until I though of the cost to eat this meal at a restaurant.  My panic attack subsoded when I came to the conclusion that I was still getting the better deal.  Phew!

Next, prep the chicken.

Saute the chopped onion and minced garlic together in the same pot as you fried your chicken until the onions are soft.

Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, pepper and saffron wine.  Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the mixture is reduced by half.  Then add the rice, chicken stock and chicken pieces.  Simmer covered for 30-40 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!  I'm telling you, when you're done with your first plate, you'll be looking forward to your leftovers!

Arroz con Pollo
Dinner for Two, Leftovers for Two
From Joy the Baker, adapted from Martha Stewart
makes 4 pieces of chicken



Ingredients:

3/4 cup dry white wine
pinch of saffron threads (just a few strands is plenty)
4 chicken thighs (skin on)
salt and pepper for seasoning chicken
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes (mostly drained)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
2 1/4 cups chicken broth (you may need a bit more)
1 1/2 cups white rice
scant 1 cup large green pimento olives ( I left these out since olives repulse me)

Combine wine and saffron in a small bowl.  The saffron will begin to breed yellow.  Great!  Set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottom saucepan or dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Season both sides of the chicken generously with salt and pepper.

Place chicken pieces, skin side down, in the hot oil.  Allow to crisp and fry for 4 to 5 minutes.  Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes.  Remove the chicken pieces from the hot pan and place on a clean plate.

Add onions and garlic to the pan.  Cook, stirring, until soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Add the partially drained can of tomatoes, bay leaf,  salt and pepper, and saffron wine.  Allow to simmer, uncovered, until the mixture has reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes.

Add the rice to the pot.  Add the chicken broth and chicken pieces.  Top with olives (if you're using them).  Reduce the heat to low, place the lid on the pot, and allow to simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 30-40 minutes.

* Joy notes that there are a few tricks.  If you’re using a large pot, make sure that you move it around on the burner so that the simmer hits every part of the pan.  Fifteen minutes in the center of the pot.  Ten minutes on one side of the pot.  Ten minutes on the other side of the pot.  Sometimes pockets of rice can remain uncooked if the pan is too large.  Also, don’t be afraid to add a touch more broth if your rice isn’t cooking up.  No worries.  Keep it easy.

Check the rice after 30 minutes to make sure that it is cooking evenly.  Add more broth, a cup at a time, if necessary.

Once cooked, allow to rest for 10 minutes with the lid on.

Serve warm.

Dish will last, in a container in the fridge, for up to 3 or 4 days.