Arroz Con Pollo is a Spanish Style Chicken and Rice Dish of many different variations. Basically chicken parts are browned. Chicken is removed and vegetables are sautéed. Stock and rice are added. Then the chicken gets added back and the whole thing gets finished covered in the oven.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

3 big chicken leg quarters (mine weighed about 4lbs)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

2 teaspoons dried oregano

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion chopped

4 garlic cloves – ground to paste or microplane

12 shishito peppers – chopped (I thought they’d add a nice zip instead of the traditional green bell)

1 lb fresh tomatoes chopped (please pick a good variety and not the cardboard tasting ones)

1/4 teaspoon saffron

2 bay leaves

2 cups broth (I used vegetable but would have used chicken if I had it)

1 cup long grain rice

1 tablespoon capers

12 pimento stuffed olives (the giant buttery ones from Costco are really good)

1 1/2 cup peas

1 teaspoon dried chopped Nora pepper (this pepper is difficult to find but is used often in Spanish dishes……another mildly spicy fruity ground pepper is Aleppo)

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro – chopped (leaves and only the tender stems)

2 Tablespoons parsley – chopped – (just the leaves)

Directions

Set oven to 375 degrees F.

Salt and pepper the chicken to your liking.

Get a big fry pan on medium high heat with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and add cumin and oregano and the chicken. Brown the chicken all over. Remove the chicken and set to the side.

Add onions, shishitos and garlic to the pan……Sauté till soft. Add tomatoes, saffron, bay leaves, capers, olives, broth and Nora pepper and bring to boil. Add Rice and take off heat.

The mixture goes in an oven proof pan with the chicken and get covered. For about 50 minutes or until chicken is a safe degree…

Once done remove chicken and fluff the rice up and add the peas.

Add the chicken back and add fresh parsley and cilantro.

Serve. The chicken comes out very moist and flavorful. The rice mixture is just delicious.

Enjoy!