Arroz Con Pollo

Don't you just love new supermarkets? I don't know about you, but I LOVE new supermarkets. I'm not sure what it is about them that I love so much, it could be the newness, the bright and clean stocked shelves or the fact that it's somewhere different I can buy stuff. They opened a new Shoprite by my office a few weeks ago and while I'd been there several times, my mom had yet to go. She'd been nagging asking me to take her since it opened, so finally I had the time go with her. Luck was on our side this trip because there were giving out several samples of new things they were selling. LOVE free samples of food :) 

As we were leaving, here I am carrying about 6 bags (god forbid I actually grab a cart)while I'm looking for my car keys, a nice man offers to help carry our bags. I turn and see it's the Imperial Chorizo sample guy, I tell him no thank you because our car is right in front, but I do tell him how delicious his chorizo was. He was very excited and told me that it's been so popular he had to run out to the truck to get more. I smile and tell him "well it's that good!" He laughs and says to me "hold on, let me give you a piece of our reserved blend". Now I'm expecting a little piece that he has already cut up, but no he hands me a whole link of Chorizo! I thank him profusely and this is why we are here now. I guess you can say the nice Chorizo man inspired tonight dinner. I got today's recipe from Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen. Only change I made was adding Chorizo and using fire roasted tomatoes. David liked it so much he gave it an A+ and had 2 servings!


Enjoy!

Arroz Con Pollo
Adapted from Gourmet Today: More than 1000 All-New Recipes for the Contemporary Kitchen


For chicken

3 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 teaspoon black pepper

4 chicken leg quarters, separated

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

For rice

1 lb onions, chopped (2 1/2 cups)

2 green bell peppers, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

4 oz Chorizo, chopped

1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons salt

1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf

1 (14- to 15-oz) can diced fire roasted tomatoes, including juice

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups water

2 cups long-grain white rice

1 cup frozen baby peas (not thawed)

1/2 cup small or medium pimiento-stuffed green olives 

Preparation

Purée garlic, orange juice, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth. Put chicken pieces in a large bowl and pour purée over them, turning to coat. Marinate chicken, covered and chilled, turning occasionally, 1 hour.
           
Transfer chicken, letting excess marinade drip back into bowl, to paper towels, then pat dry. Reserve marinade.
           
Heat oil and butter in 6- to 7-quart pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, turning occasionally, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate, reserving fat in pot.


Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350°F.
           
Sauté onions, bell peppers, chorizo, and garlic in fat in pot over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally and scraping up brown bits from chicken, until vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
           
While vegetables cook, heat saffron in a dry small skillet over low heat, shaking skillet, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and bring to a simmer, then remove from heat.
           
Add cumin and salt to vegetables and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in saffron mixture, bay leaf, tomatoes (including juice), broth, water, and reserved marinade and bring to a boil.
           
Add all chicken except breast pieces, skin sides up, and gently simmer, covered, over low heat 10 minutes. Stir in rice, then add breast pieces, skin sides up, and arrange chicken in 1 layer. Return to a simmer.
           
Cover pot tightly, then transfer to oven and bake until rice is tender and most of liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
           
Scatter peas, olives, and pimientos over rice and chicken (do not stir) and return to oven, covered until peas are heated through and any remaining liquid is absorbed by rice, about 5 minutes.  Discard bay leaf.