Latin-Style Chicken and Rice with Ham, Peas, and Orange
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
2¼ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 6 teaspoons)1 ¾ teaspoon table salt 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoonsGround black pepper 3.5 pounds chicken thighs (8 total) bone-in, with skin, trimmed of excess skin and fat2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)8 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves 8 ounces canned plain tomato sauce 1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup Water, plus more as needed3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved1 tablespoon capers 3 strips orange zest, removed with peeler, each strip about 3 inches long3 tablespoons fresh orange juice 1 cup frozen peas ½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-inch stripsLemon wedges, for serving
Before You Begin
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin so it just covers each thigh. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add cumin, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Using fingers, coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, ham, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and 1/4 cup water; stir gently to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes (chicken will not be fully cooked).
- Add rice, olives, capers, orange zest, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding peas and 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, pimentos, and orange juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges at table.
Time
2¼ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 6 teaspoons)
1 ¾ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
3.5 pounds chicken thighs (8 total) bone-in, with skin, trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
8 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces canned plain tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup Water, plus more as needed
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
3 strips orange zest, removed with peeler, each strip about 3 inches long
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 6 teaspoons)
1 ¾ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
3.5 pounds chicken thighs (8 total) bone-in, with skin, trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
8 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces canned plain tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup Water, plus more as needed
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
3 strips orange zest, removed with peeler, each strip about 3 inches long
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
6 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 6 teaspoons)
1 ¾ teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar plus 2 additional teaspoons
Ground black pepper
3.5 pounds chicken thighs (8 total) bone-in, with skin, trimmed of excess skin and fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1 cup)
1 small green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine (about ¾ cup)
8 ounces ham steak or Canadian bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
¼ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
8 ounces canned plain tomato sauce
1 ¾ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup Water, plus more as needed
3 cups medium-grain rice (see note above)
½ cup green olives (manzanilla), pitted and halved
1 tablespoon capers
3 strips orange zest, removed with peeler, each strip about 3 inches long
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup frozen peas
½ cup jarred pimentos, cut into ¼ by 2-inch strips
Lemon wedges, for serving
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To develop an arroz con pollo recipe that would be ready in about an hour without sacrificing great taste, we chose either chicken thighs or breasts, not only for shopping convenience but to ensure that all of the pieces would cook at the same rate. We poached the chicken in a broth preseasoned with a sofrito, a classic Latin American mixture of chopped onions and green peppers. To finish our chicken and rice recipe, about half an hour before the chicken finished cooking, we added medium-grain rice (which we preferred over long-grain for its creamy texture), stirring it a few times to ensure even cooking.
Before You Begin
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin so it just covers each thigh. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt in large bowl; using rubber spatula, mix to make smooth paste. Add cumin, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic-salt mixture; stir to combine. Place chicken in bowl with marinade. Using fingers, coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade; set aside for 15 minutes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, green pepper, ham, and pepper flakes; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables begin to soften, 4 to 8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine. Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken to clearing in center of pot, skin side down, in even layer. Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. (If chicken begins to brown, reduce heat to medium). Using tongs, flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque, 2 to 4 minutes more. Add tomato sauce, broth, and 1/4 cup water; stir gently to combine. Bring to simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes (chicken will not be fully cooked).
- Add rice, olives, capers, orange zest, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; stir well. Bring to simmer, cover, and place pot in oven. After 10 minutes, remove pot from oven and gently stir chicken and rice once from bottom up. After another 10 minutes, stir once more, adding peas and 1/4 cup water if rice appears dry and bottom of pot is beginning to burn. Cover and return pot to oven; cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is tender but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes longer.
- Using tongs, remove chicken from pot; replace lid and set pot aside. Remove and discard chicken skin; using 2 spoons, pull meat off bones into large chunks. Using fingers, remove remaining fat or dark veins from chicken pieces. Place chicken in large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive oil, remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, pimentos, and orange juice; season with salt and pepper to taste. Place chicken on top of rice, cover, and let stand until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Serve, passing lemon wedges at table.
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