You’ll need a wide, shallow pot for this recipe, similar to a Paella pan or a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.
Ingredients
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1/2 green pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 small can of tomato sauce
- 3-4 chicken breasts, halved and 3-4 chicken thighs
- salt and pepper, to taste
- white wine (use any leftover wine)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cups of white long-grain rice
- 1/2 can of pimentos
- 1 can of peas
- Bijol-type Seasoning/Coloring OR 1 Sazon Goya packet
Before you begin:
This recipe doubles easily. - A Paella pan is ideal but not necessary. You can use a dutch oven. You need a tight fitting lid. A wide low style pot is best Remember that the rice, once cooked, will expand. NOTE: I use my Le Creuset Dutch Oven. It is 5.5 qt and it works perfectly!
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Make the Sofrito (also known as the “Holy Trinity” of latin cooking). Heat olive oil in the pan at medium heat and sauté the onions, peppers until wilted. Add the garlic. Add the tomato sauce. Do not brown.
Add the chicken pieces to the sofrito mixture above. Add about 1/2 cup or so of white wine and the bay leaf. Let the chicken cook for a few minutes. Add the bijol and/or sazon Goya. Be generous with salt and pepper because you need enough to season the chicken AND the rice which you will add next.
Measure the rice and rinse once. Add the rice to the pan and then DOUBLE the water. If you use 3 cups of rice; 6 cups of water. Add the can of peas (For me, the more peas the better!) and the pimentos.
Bring the pan to a rolling boil. Bringing the pot to boil is critical to the success of the dish. Cover tightly with lid and put into the oven. Cook for approximately 30 to 40 minutes. If after this time, the rice is not cooked (it should be very very soft, and water absorbed), then put in oven for another 10-15 minutes.
Serving Size: 4 to 6
Courtesy: Family Recipe.
