ARROZ CON POLLO
- Richard Rodriguez
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Spanish Chicken & Rice
Another one of those family recipes that I grew up eating time and time again and absolutely loved. This is my grandma María’s recipe that was passed on to my dad and now onto me.
The recipes that come from María don’t really have measurements. Just a scrap piece of paper with a handful of this, a glug of that and the sort of instructions that end with, “You’ll know when it’s ready.”
Traditionally, this would have been made with a whole chicken cut into portions and cooked on the bone. I’ve used boneless chicken thighs because they’re what I had and they make life a little easier.
I’ve also added a little saffron, which wasn’t in the original recipe, but I think it works beautifully.
This one is meant to be brothy. Not a dry paella and not quite a soup either. Tender chicken, soft potatoes and rice swimming in a rich paprika-infused stock. The sort of food you eat with a spoon and a chunk of bread to mop up every last drop.
Serves 5-6
Ingredients
1kg boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 large onion, finely diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
3 garlic cloves, grated
5 large grated tomatoes
2 tbsp smoked paprika
3 bay leaves
150ml white wine
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces or snapped into chunks
350g paella rice
1.5 litres chicken stock
Saffron, Garlic & Parsley Paste
Large handful of fresh parsley
2 garlic cloves, fried until golden
2 cloves
Pinch of saffron
Method
Take the saffron, wrap it in a little foil and place it in a hot pan for around 30 seconds to toast lightly.
Add a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to the pan and gently fry the 2 garlic cloves until golden. Add the saffron, garlic, cloves and a pinch of salt to a pestle and mortar and crush into a paste. Add the fresh parsley and continue to pound everything together until combined. Set aside.
In the same pan, turn the heat up high and add the chicken. Season generously with salt and pepper and cook until the chicken is browned all over and forms a beautiful crust. Remove from the pan and set aside. While the chicken is doing its thing, this is where I prep all the veg.
Add the onion and peppers to the pan. Season and, if needed, add another splash of olive oil. Cook over a low heat for around 10 minutes until softened.
Add the grated tomatoes and garlic, turn the heat up to medium and cook for around 10 minutes. You’re looking to cook out all the moisture from the tomatoes so you’re left with a concentrated mixture in the pan.
Add the potatoes. Rather than cutting them neatly, I like to snap or break them into the pan. It releases a little of the starch and helps give the broth body.
Add the smoked paprika, give everything a stir and cook for around a minute, making sure the paprika doesn’t catch or burn.
Pour in the white wine, turn the heat up and allow it to reduce slightly.
Return the chicken to the pan along with any resting juices. Add the bay leaves and pour in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
Add the rice, give everything a good mix and simmer over a low heat until the rice is cooked, around 20 minutes depending on the rice you’re using. Keep an eye on it. If it starts looking too dry, add a splash more stock or hot water. You want the rice cooked but still sitting in a loose, rich broth. Not soup, and not dry like a paella.
Once the rice is ready, stir through the saffron and parsley paste and let it cook for another minute.
Check for seasoning and serve.
Get yourself a bowl, a spoon and plenty of bread. You’ll want every last drop 👊❤️🇪🇸
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