Arroz Con Pollo

Yield 2 portions, (but if you add another egg you can serve 4)

Ingredients

For the Chicken

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 lbs./4 chicken thighs bone-in

2 tablespoons Kosher salt

For the Sofrito

7 oz chopped yellow onions

4 oz of sausage, any type sliced ¼” rounds

7 oz diced green peppers

2 ½ oz minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon Kosher salt

7 oz canned chopped tomatoes drained

For the Rice

1 cup of long grain rice, washed

2 cups hot chicken stock, with a ¼ teaspoon saffron mixed

1 cup frozen peas

12 Manzanilla olives

1 tablespoon of capers

For the Garnish

1 hard-boiled egg, cut in half

10 blanched asparagus, peeled and chopped, leaving 4” of the tips intact

1 scallion, green and white part, chopped

2 tablespoons of olive oil

A pinch of Kosher salt

3 lemon wedges

Preheat the oven 400F

Let’s start with the chicken

Season the chicken on both sides while heating an oven proof braising pot at medium high heat, drizzle the oil into the pot and wait for it to get hot. Place the chicken skin side down and let cook without moving for ten minutes, once the skin crisps up, flip the chicken and sear the other side until golden brown; remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.

Cook the sofrito

In the same pot (without removing any of the fat that rendered) add the onions, sausage and cook for four minutes, add the garlic and the rest of the ingredients; cook for five minutes at medium heat

It is rice time

In a strainer, wash the rice for several seconds, drain well and add to the sofrito, stir and cook for a couple of minutes so the rice gets coated with the oils and spices. Nestle the chicken in the rice (skin side up), add the hot stock and bring to simmer, taste for seasoning.

Cover the pot with a lid and put in the oven for fifteen minutes. Remove from the oven and add the peas, capers and olives and stir lightly for even distribution, cover again and place in the oven for another five minutes.

Make it Look Pretty

In a mixing bowl or a plate add the asparagus, the scallions, oil, salt and juice of one lemon wedge, mix

well and set aside.

It’s Time to Eat

Remove the pot from the oven and garnish with the HB egg, asparagus and lemon wedges and serve.

BUEN PROVECHO!!