How to cook arroz con pollo (chicken and rice)
Brown the chicken
Now whether you're eating indoors or al fresco this summer arroz con pollo is the perfect one pot family dish. It's Spanish for chicken and rice and it's a real taste of Spain without forking out on the airfare. All it takes to recreate it at home are these low cost ingredients and 20 minutes in the oven. It couldn't be easier so let me show you. The first thing to do is brown your chicken in olive oil. This is a whole chicken that's been sprinkled with salt and pepper and jointed and you can see how to do this on the website. It's so quick and easy and such good value for money. But of course you could use chicken pieces. Once the pieces are all browned, take them out of the pan and get them onto a plate.
Add the other ingredients
Then throw a chopped onion into the pan with a tablespoon of paprika, two cloves of chopped garlic, two bay leaves and one chopped red pepper. Give that all a stir and cook it until the vegetables have softened. Now add some chopped tomatoes, a 400g tin. Then add 470mls of chicken stock made with two chicken stock cubes. Add a tablespoon of tomato puree, then some salt and black pepper and mix everything together. Then when it comes to a simmer add 185g of long grain rice will absorb all those wonderful flavours. And back in with the browned chicken pieces and just arrange them on top in an even layer.
Leave to simmer
Partially cover the pan with a lid and leave it to bubble away slowly over a moderate heat. So that's a real taste of the Spanish summer. You've got that beautiful succulent chicken, the sweetness from the red pepper and the pungency from the garlic and the onion. It's the perfect dish for the family or great for company. And after 20 minutes the arroz con pollo is ready to serve up.
Finishing touches
And all it needs is a scattering of chopped parsley. So there you go this is easy on the pocket, easy to prepare, it's the perfect one pot dish. So forget roast chicken this summer, give your taste buds a holiday and treat your family and friends to arroz con pollo.