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Spanish Chicken and Rice

Every time I go back to San Francisco, there is a crush of people that I want to see. In addition to everyone that I want to catch up with, there’s also a whirlwind of places I want to go to visit, from favorite taquerias to new chocolate and pastry places. (Not sure what happened in my absence, but the city has really ramped up the bakery options.) I stopped trying to do (and eat) it all because there’s nothing worse than a vacation where you don’t get to relax and just go for a walk. But I do regret not being able to see all my friends.

One such friend is Joanne Weir. Part of the reason I don’t get to see her is because she’s always going off somewhere, traipsing around Greece, Morocco, Italy, or Provence. And so far, she has declined to take me along. However I feel like I’m with her when I read her newest book, Kitchen Gypsy, stories of her travels around the world, including how she became a cook, starting doing the more elemental task at Chez Panisse – making the daily pasta for the café – to eventually learning to cook with the great, and mercurial, Madeleine Kamman, before becoming a cooking teacher, cookbook author and television personality. And now she even owns a restaurant, Copita, yet another place that I have to put on my list to visit in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

In her new book, she talks about our time together at Chez Panisse. I remember liking Joanne instantly. We were both New Englanders, young, and eager to cook. And she just has that kind of personality that draws you in.  Joanne included a story about me in her book, along with a picture that’s probably twenty years old, when I made an ice cream inspired by Madeleine Kamman, who I both admired and was completely terrified of.

Unlike others who took her cooking program (half the students left right before graduation when Joanne was there), Joanne stuck it out and learned much about cooking from the legendary Madame Kamman. She was a legend because she wrote some of the most highly regarded, outstanding books on cooking and French cuisine. But also earned her reputation for being sharp, difficult, and unpleasant. (She was notoriously irked that Julia Child became so popular writing about French cuisine.) You can read some of the tales in Joanne’s book, along with how finding a fly in a bottle of French wine led to a lifelong friendship with the winemaker in France, why she wanted to become a cooking teacher, and how she came to travel around the world, cooking her way through France, Italy, North Africa, and Spain.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Because Joanne has been a cooking teacher for so many years, her recipes are especially well-written. The one that appealed to me most, though, was Arroz con pollo, or Spanish chicken with rice. I went out and bought a chicken, a few slender red peppers and a tin of pimento-stuffed olives, pulling my paella pan off the shelf, a gift from David Tanis, who we both worked for, and with, at Chez Panisse. Which seemed fitting to use right now.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Spanish Chicken and Rice

I was super fortunate because at a booksigning I did in the states a year or so ago, a lovely Iranian-American woman pressed a packet of saffron in my hand, which was one of the best gifts I ever got. When I put a picture of it on Instagram, people from Iran told me that it was, indeed, the best saffron. And that’s something, considering that no matter what you use or have, or where you go, if you post a picture of it on social media, someone always tells you there is something better. This saffron is the ne plus ultra of saffron. (And if you write something in French, someone will tell you that it’s nec plus ultra, although Webster’s offers up a different spelling in English.)

Spanish Chicken and Rice

All I know is that it’s amazing saffron and made a fragrant base for the Spanish-style rice.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Speaking of which, I was a little concerned about the rice. Joanne calls for Spanish bomba rice. It’s not a sticky rice and in fact, in France “round” rice is sold for the cuisine sucrée (desserts), in addition to savory cooking. I don’t have much experience using it for savory cooking and did a little reading up about it as it’s often mentioned in the same breath with its cousin, arborio rice.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

But it’s worth tracking down short-grain “round” rice for Arroz con pollo. The article I linked to just above gives locavore Russell Moore‘s trick for turning California Japanese short-grain rice into Spanish-style rice. Russell is another friend who worked with me and Joanne…and David…at Chez Panisse. Amazing how many of my former co-workers I could weave into this one dish, but it’s Joanne that I have to thank here for her friendship over the years, and this hearty Spanish-inspired dish.

Spanish Chicken and Rice

Arroz con pollo

Adapted from Kitchen Gypsy: Recipe and Stories from a Lifelong Romance with Food by Joanne Weir Spanish Bomba rice is the preferred rice for this dish, which is often called “paella rice.” Anticipating questions, I asked Joanne if Arborio rice would work and she said it might, although it absorbs less liquid than the Bomba rice. According to this article in the San Jose Mercury News, 1 cup of Bomba rice will absorb approximately 3 cups of water whereas Arborio rice will absorb 2 cups. So for those with good math skills, you could do some tinkering if you want to use Arborio rice. Bomba rice is available at The Spanish Table, La Tienda and Amazon. I used round rice (short-grain) from the supermarket, which worked well. In Paris, you can find it at G. Detou. One reader told me that she used Goya Valencia rice, which worked very well, too. To peel fresh tomatoes, make an X with a paring knife in the round end (opposite the stem end) and drop them in a pot of boiling water for about a minute. Remove them and pass them under cool running water for a moment, and the skins will slip off. Cut them in half around the equator and squeeze out the seeds then dice them. For those avoiding wine, substitute an equal amount of water with a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice in it. There’s no substitute for saffron. Some suggest a tiny pinch of ground turmeric for color, but it’s really not the same thing and the flavor is completely different. I suggest hunting some actual saffron down if you can and if cost is an object, only use 1/2 teaspoon of it. If not, you can leave it out. Some Europeans use Spigot spice mix with a small percentage of saffron and there is Bijol, a Cuban condiment, and Sazón, a Mexican one made by Goya, but once again, they only contain a very small amount of actual saffron.
  • One whole chicken, cut into 8: two thighs, two legs and two breasts (bone in) cut in half crosswise (reserve the carcass and wings for stock)
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons (total) sea or kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper or 2 sweet red peppers, seeded and sliced in 1/3-inch (1cm) strips, lengthwise
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon saffron threads
  • 1/8 teaspoon red chile flakes
  • 2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and diced fresh tomatoes, or 2 1/2 cups (725g) diced canned tomatoes (including their juices)
  • 2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
  • 2 cups (400g) Spanish bomba rice or short-grain (or round)rice
  • 1/2 cup (80g) pitted green olives, (preferably pimento-stuffed) sliced
  • 3/4 cup (110g) fresh or frozen green peas
  • In a bowl, season the chicken with the oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, and black pepper. Rub it in well, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. (The chicken can be seasoned a day in advance.)
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
  • In an 8-quart Dutch oven or casserole, or paella pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken pieces in a single layer, in batches if necessary, so they aren’t crowded into the pan, until they are well browned on all sides. Once the first batch is done, transfer the chicken to a plate and brown the remaining pieces.
  • When the second batch of chicken is done, remove the pieces to a plate with the others and drain off all but 2 tablespoons of fat or oil left in the pan. Add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to wilt. Add the garlic, saffron (use the smaller amount if on a budget), red chile flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue cooking until the onions and peppers are wilted and soft.
  • Add the tomatoes, water, and wine to the pan. Arrange the chicken in the pan, skin side up, cover the pot tightly and bake for 30 minutes in the oven.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and add the rice, directing it in the areas in between the chicken pieces. Strew the olives over the chicken and liquid, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir gently to even out the rice in the pan. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven, add the peas, and cover. Cook until the rice has absorbed almost all of the liquid and it’s tender. Note: Joanne and I had a flurry of emails about this. She uses Spanish rice and said it takes 10 minutes more at this point. I used store-bought rice and mine needed an additional 20 to 25 minutes more. So just check by lifting the lid or foil covering over the pot to see when the liquid is absorbed. It’s done when the rice is tender. There may be a small amount of liquid, which should be absorbed during the final few minutes of resting.
  • When done, remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes, covered, before serving.
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86 comments

    • Jan

    This is actually what’s on deck for dinner tonight, though ours will be a simpler, probably less authentic version. I still appreciate the recipe, for another time. I like to skin tomatoes by holding them over the stove top gas flame with a sturdy pair of tongs, rotating once or twice. Less messy and conveniently skips the ice bath, since I have no ice.

      • Colin

      No need for ice as cold water will do the trick.

    • Maureen @Raising The Capable Student

    This looks like the type of dish I could actually make one evening after work for dinner…especially since you gave the okay for canned diced tomatoes. I love to make my family a nice meal, and this looks like something familiar enough that they will like it, but different enough that I will feel happy cooking it!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I made it twice. Once with canned tomatoes and once with fresh, and I didn’t see much difference. Since it’s winter, I didn’t expect the fresh tomatoes to have much flavor and the canned ones were fine to use. If I had to choose, I’d say I preferred them, although I gave both options in case people wanted to go with fresh.

      (I did try the recipe also without browning the chicken in advance, thinking maybe that step could be omitted. But the dish was much better when the chicken was browned first.)

        • Joanne Weir

        In total agreement about browning the chicken. The golden brown bits on the bottom of the pan (as I call it “the love”) combine with the broth and make it an even more flavorful dish.

        • lagatta à montréal

        Dear David, in the winter here in Montréal, I’m definitely going with good tinned tomatoes – I live near an Italian supermarket, Milano, and can find top-quality ones. I’d definitely brown the chicken. Your chicken looks lovely. And what a beautiful colour that Iranian saffron is!

      • Maria del mar

      Looks like the kinda stuff we eat in Puerto RIco. Great pics !

    • Janice

    Inspired to make this soon!
    Any suggestions for using brown rice instead of white? ( I ask for type 2 diabetes dietary reasons.)

    • tyler

    The intro says “1 cup of Bomba rice will absorb 3 cups of water whereas Arborio rice will absorb 2 cups”

    But the recipe calls for 2 cups of Bomba rice and only 3 cups of water.

    “2 1/2 cups (625ml) water
    1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
    2 cups (400g) Spanish bomba rice or short-grain (or round) rice”

    Is that a mistake or do the tomatoes give out enough water to make up the difference?

      • Michael M Brando

      tyler I think it’s because David did not use Bomba. In the note he says Joanne used “spanish rice” (Bomba) whereas he used “store bought”. I make a lot of paella in the summer on my weber and it does indeed use 3 cups water to one cup rice

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I asked Joanne the same question and the tomatoes make up the additional liquid.

    • Judith Kozloff

    How lovely to read such a wonderful tribute to Madeleine Kamman. She was under-rated at the time although I still have all her books. Perhaps Julia was easier to work with and so became more known and successful. Or perhaps because she was American it was easier to sell her, and her books in the US. If I had to choose I would opt for Mme Kamman.how lucky for you to actually have learned from her.

      • Joanne Weir

      Madeleine was absolutely extraordinary. I spent a year with her non-professionally and another year getting a Master Chef Diploma. She was a true taskmaster and her own worst enemy but I loved her and loved that she treated me like a daughter (most of the time). If you want to read more about my year with her, check out the chapter in my new book, “Kitchen Gypsy” called “Three Grains of Salt.” That was one crazy year!

    • Agneta Quist-Palos

    Oh YUM!

    • Jo

    I have been looking for this recipe since I saw you making it on Snapchat. Thanks for posting it! I can’t wait to make it!

    • Maria

    If you measured the shopped onion, more or less how much would it be? And what kind of onion?

    And how many pounds should the chicken be?

    I think this will become a weekly dish. I’m Colombian and miss Arroz con Pollo so much, this looks just like my grandmother’s recipe.

    Gracias de todo corazon

      • Joanne Weir

      About 3/4 cup chopped onion and 3 1/2 pound chicken

    • Nancy

    I’d really appreciate a brown rice option requested above. My husband is diabetic and I have come to like brown rice better.
    Please and thank you!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I don’t know if brown rice would work since I don’t have much experience with it, although I do know that it takes a lot longer to cook than white rice. If you try it, let us know how it works out.

    • Gayle

    An adaptation of this recipe is in my weeknight rotation. It’s fairly quick and easy.

    Question tho, David.

    I used to buy excellent Iranian saffron at the Epicerie Bruno on the r. Tiquetonne, but they’ve closed. I tried Thiercelin in the 3rd. The clerk there was delightful, but I’m not 100% thrilled with the quality.

    Any suggestions?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I’ve only bought saffron in Sicily when I was there last year, and used this saffron, in France. Not sure where to get good saffron in Paris. You might want to try G. Detou, however perhaps someone else can chime in with an address that has good saffron.

    • Joyce

    I love paella but find bomba too pricey for my everyday cooking. I have subbed arborio before, but I prefer Valencia as a substitute. Mahatma makes it and local stores carry it, even in a tiny South Georgia town like mine – and at less than $1 a lb., vs. $5 for bomba or Calesparra.

      • Jean

      I had never heard of bomba rice, but according to wikipedia, it appears to be the same as Valencia rice, which is easy to find.

    • Nancy

    Copita is in Sausalito, not San Francisco

    My apologies. Fixed! – dl

    • Isabella

    This looks fantastic! I’ve been basically living on chicken and rice lately due to my (breastfed) son having some food intolerance issues, and this iteration has exactly the kind of pizzaz I’ve been missing…

    • Mike @ Optional Kitchen

    Oh my goodness! I nearly didn’t open the email, because I thought “oh, arroz con pollo, I know about that.” But I was thinking a much simpler (and more Latin American) dish; this is a really gorgeous looking paella! Thanks for my weekend cooking plans :)

      • Charo

      Well… probably the “arroz con pollo” in LA countries comes from the Spanish one, don’t you think? ;) And, please, don’t call this dish a paella… (at least not to a Spaniard chef/amateur).

    • Pipera

    I will keep it in mind for a nice weekend dinner. I do agree that bomba could be little to pricey but if can make the difference it is worth it. And yes the brown rice could be the best advice on recipe. I will try it.

    • LizzyFaire

    The cost of the saffron is negligible compared to the price of a gorgeous golden chicken like the one pictured, which is nearly impossible to find where I am. Corn-fed, dry plucked, air-chilled. That would cost probably $30, whereas the saffron would be $5 at most. Sigh. Paris chicken.

      • janice

      I noticed the chicken too. Was wondering what was different about it. Ours are so pale. I wonder if a place like Whole Foods has the kind you described.

        • Emma

        Hello,

        In fact being yellow for a chicken is not a sign of quality, it is just a different breed ok chicken and sometimes the food matters.

    • Ellen Jefferies

    You reference in the original post having the very best saffron but never what brand that is. Would you share, or at least a recommendation on what brands are good?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      The brand I have is labeled Saharkhiz and I don’t know where to get it. I think it’s best to shop from a good, trusted spice merchant rather than looking for a brand as I don’t think there are that many (or any?) national or international brands of saffron available. Some of the links I gave to places that sell Spanish products may sell saffron.

        • Ellen Jefferies

        Thank you! A google search gets the info that they sell thru retail distributors, few in the U.S. Someone is selling it on eBay and the picture looks like the package on your post. Price is competitive with other brands. So, buying spices is always at first an experiment as far as freshness goes, so I’m experimenting.

    • LizzyFaire

    It looks like Saharkhiz to me, from the photo.

    • Paula Thomas

    This is such an interesting post, I’m from Colombia where we have our own version of Arroz con Pollo, not us fun I must say -no wine (!), use our regular size rice, make a sofrito as base flavor, no olives, just peas and carrot, and poor man’s saffron AKA Turmeric. I must try this version as a historical trip to my heritage’s past.Thanks David!

    • Linda

    I’m Puerto rican and your Arroz con Pollo looks better than the one I make. Thanks for the recipe.

    • Donna Adams

    Love Copita in Sausalito, it’s one of our Favorite for Mexican food here in the Bay Area. You must try it on your next trip out here.

      • Joanne Weir

      I’m so happy you like Copita Donna. Hope to see you there sometime soon.

    • Cecília

    Nice recipe, David, but you won´t find any rice in Spain with olives, really
    So, difficult to say that this is a Spanish arroz con pollo.
    Regards from Barcelona.

      • Joe B.

      Ah, so you’re the one that’s sampled every rice dish throughout Spain. Congratulations.

    • Sharon

    Why do your pictures look better to eat than my food? Just kidding, but it sometimes seems that way….. Another lovely post.

    • Kesa

    After step 7 when you add the peas how much longer does it take in the oven. I actually purchase the Bomba Rice on Amazon. Also do you think I could add shrimp and sausage?
    Thank you

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      In the note in Step 7, I said that in the original recipe, it said to cook “10 minutes more.” However in my experience, making the recipe twice, I found it took “an additional 20-25 minutes more.” I think you could use shrimp or sausage if you’d like.

    • Raro

    I made this tonight for my boys (ages 6 and 14). They loved it, even with my changes, based on what I had available in my cupboard. I used black olives instead of green. I never peel tomatoes and I always buy the small Campari tomatoes in the winter. They actually have flavor! And lastly, I used farro instead of rice. I soaked it in water while I was preparing the rest of the dish. Oh, and I did not rub on the salt and oregano in advance. I did it first and then set about gathering and prepping the other ingredients. Lastly, I cooked it in a 10″ wide 4″ deep cast iron skillet and lid. I did use a lovely all natural chicken from our coop. Delicious! Both boys had seconds.

      • lagatta à montréal

      If farro works, it would be a better solution for those requesting a brown rice option. Basmati rice also has a low glucemic index, though of course it is a long-grain rice, not a round rice.

    • Scott_D

    I’m using Bomba from The Spanish Table in Berkeley and it seems as if the rice is never going to get done. I’ve lost track of how many additional minutes it’s been. More than your 25 even.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I didn’t use Bomba but when I was testing the recipe, Joanne sent me a picture of the back of the box of Bomba rice (Matiz brand) that she used, and the instructions say to cook for about 35 minutes total, not including the resting time, but the cooking times I noted were based on my experience. Rice can vary.

        • Scott_D

        I wonder if rice, like beans, gets old and takes longer to cook? I had that brand before, but I think this one was different. Threw the bag away.

        As I was serving I noticed that the rice in one spot, the spot I kept testing, was still hard, but in the rest of the dish it was fine. So, I would next time remove the chicken, stir in the rice and then put the chicken back it to insure even distribution of the rice.

        Water? I used chicken stock. And I used the full amount of saffron. Still, I found it a tad bland.

          • Michael M Brando

          Scott_D, I did remove the chicken and stir in the rice, but I ended up taking the paella pan out of the oven after about 30 minutes and putting it on the burner on medium high. I’m not sure how much longer it would have taken for the Bomba rice to absorb the liquid (I used chicken stock). After much of it was absorbed (with a bit of stirring from time to time) I added the chicken back to the pan, covered with foil and back in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.

            • Scott_D

            Michael, I think that would help. With mine the extended cooking time dried out the white meat.

          • Ellen Jefferies

          Rice definitely gets old. According to Anson Mills where I buy most of my rice (Charleston Gold), it is pretty short. Fresh rice, fresh flour, fresh pasta, etc, etc.

            • Scott_D

            Well, I did just buy the rice and the previous time a couple weeks before they were out. So, it was fresh stock. But no telling how fresh the rice was really.

    • Douglas Hall

    I have to tell you…I used to fly Braniff Airlines South America…this is one of my favorite S.A.dishes.!

    • Nadia@maisontravers

    Love this dish. Very common in Los Angeles. I often make it and always make it with canned tomatoes.
    Nice version.

    • Rosa

    This is fourth time I make it as your recipe, “so delicious” and “easy to make” are what I can say about it. Thanks for sharing

    • Sarah Beth

    Hi David. I’m cheating a bit since I did not make the arroz con pollo. I did, however, make the galette des rois. The mom of our summer exchange student sent me some of the fixings, a crown, and a recipe from “Le Journal Des Femmes.” Anyway, I ended up using your recipe (sans rhum as I had none). It was a thing of beauty. My teenagers and their friends gobbled it up in a heartbeat (luckily, the féve wasn’t swallowed). I loved the pics on how to flute the edges and make the design on top. Prettier and better than Picard’s. Thanks!!

    • Victoria

    Hi David, I’ve been looking for a dish to serve for a dinner party of nine and this looks wonderful. Do you have any suggestions for appetizers or dessert to go with it? I’ll probably have margaritas, too :)

    • Raro

    Flan and some fresh fruit would be yummy. What about sangria? Very festive! Toasted nuts, olives, some Spanish cheeses to start.

    • Philip

    Nice recipe! I made it on top of the stove and it worked beautifully, using Pomi chopped tomatoes and chicken thighs; substituted smoky paprika for the chili flakes.

    Initially I had some doubts about the olives, but they’re an important ingredient, cutting through the richness of the chicken, much the same way preserved lemon does. I could see making this with preserved lemon as well.

    Thanks, David! Definitely a crowd pleasing recipe.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Thanks for the feedback and the smoky paprika sounds like a nice touch!

    • Nat Green

    Madeleine was tough toward some people because too many women were disrespected in the professional kitchens of the world at that time (the ’70’s). So she hung a photo of Paul Bocuse upside down in her restaurant to show her displeasure! Toward our family as customers she was a dear, even personally grinding a steak for a hamburger for our 2 1/2 year-old when we arrived at Modern Gourmet in Newton, MA, when it was open at lunch.
    She respected our opinions because we understood what she was doing and where she was coming from, cooking-wise and as a woman.
    She has been truly inspiring.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      She was pretty tough and I remember well how she hung the photo upside down because of his attitude toward women in professional kitchens. She did have her own quirks and attitudes, which I saw first-hand, but I respected her because of her amazing books an her vast knowledge of cooking and techniques. In the book, Joanne does talk about her time with her and how the other students reacted during their time at her school.

        • lagatta à montréal

        Of course I knew nothing of Bocuse’s attitude towards women in professional kitchens, but he was very nasty about “Les mères” who were the soul of lyonnais cuisiine. I lost interest in him at that point. When I was in Lyon I was a graduate student, with a limited budget, and a Lyonnais friend took me to an old-school bouchon, run by “mères”, who turned out fine, simple dishes at half the price they’d cost in Paris.

          • David
          David Lebovitz

          He certainly raised some ire about the subject of women in kitchens and Madeleine Kamman was vocal about how she felt about him, and his attitudes.

      • Joanne Weir

      Madeleine was truly extraordinary. In my new book, Kitchen Gypsy, the book David is referencing, I write all about the year I spent studying with her professionally in Glen, NH and Annecy, France. I also studied with her at Modern Gourmet when I lived in Cambridge. She was truly a taskmaster but also extraordinary and a chef’s teacher. Modern Gourmet was amazing, wasn’t it? Madeleine was way, way ahead of her time.

    • Lee Rosenthal

    David: Can this be made with fish filets instead of chicken, with a fish stock?

    Thanks!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Yes, I would imagine so, similar to a Spanish paella. Fish and shellfish would cook in less time than the chicken so you’d probably want to add them later in the process. Not sure if you’d need fish stock. I tried this with chicken stock vs water and because of the other flavorings, the chicken stock kind of got lost an didn’t seem to matter. But you could certainly try it.

    • Cathy Grafton

    Bonjour David, This looks delicious. I’m wondering if you go to the Salon d’Agriculture coming up, I bet your readers would love a report on it. I am planning my trip this year so I can attend again, it is quite a wonderful event.

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I’m not able to go this year because I’m having knee surgery but I did a report with lots of picture from the Salon de l’Agriculture a few years back. Tip: If you’re going, before buying tickets, sometimes booth vendor have discount coupons they hand out outside, near the ticket area.

    • Lorena Fuentez

    This sounds great, cant wait to try it !

    • helen wiant

    This was delicious. However, next time I will reduce the amount of rice, as I ended up with a too much rice for the amount of chicken.

    • Lavici4

    DELICIOSO! Mmm one of the things I miss most from Venezuela, we cook with sofrito always… With certain variations. I bloom the spices in the oil then I sauteé the rice in with the sofrito, I would probably “pull” the browned chicken before and sautee it with the spices and sofrito before adding the rice and wine and chicken stock. Would add a bay leaf. And even though olives are not typically used , I love them, so would add them too. And before serving, would add some very good quality virgin olive oil and a copita de xerez or dry sherry. Mmm

    • Nathalie

    I love chicken and saffron! Well, saffron any time for me please and it always add the extra something to recipes. Thank you for your lovely work.

    • Nancy

    I just made it with brown rice. Delicious! Diabetics and others who want to be healthier need these alternatives. Anyway I cooked the chicken in the tomato sauce til it was done, took it out, added 2 cups of brown rice and a little extra water. Cooked til done then added the chicken back in. It was great. Thanks for the recipe!

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      Thanks for letting us know about the brown rice. Someone on Facebook commented that she used brown rice and it worked well, too, but those comments don’t show up here. Glad you could enjoy the dish and appreciate your feedback.

    • David

    A technical question… I made this and it was very nice. I used Arborio rice and it seemed pretty much absorbed after 20 minutes but I gave it another 10 after adding the peas. It couldn’t be served immediately so I left it for about 90 minutes covered out of the oven. At that point, the rice had become quite stodgy. Does this imply that the rice kept absorbing liquid (ie maybe there was too much) or is there a point at which rice will not absorb more liquid – in which case there is another reason that it became stodgy?

      • David
      David Lebovitz

      I think most kinds of rice will keep absorbing liquid as long as it’s sitting in it. Jook, a Chinese soup, is based on cooking rice until it becomes very soft and velvety, and melds with the liquid.

    • P.K

    I made this dish last night. I used a large Le Creuset dutch oven, spanish saffron (splashed out on the one teaspoon), used canned tomatoes since it is winter here, short grain rice from the bulk food store. Followed the directions and had a wonderful result. Thank you.

    • Will

    Just made it. Arborio rice. Using my math skills this require 1 5/8 cups of water instead of 2 1/2 cups. Turns out it required more like 2 cups of water and 30 minutes more of cooking time at the end.

    • Kelleyn

    This recipe was so freaking good! I wanted to cry and lick my plate at the same time. Bought my rice of of amazon. I would suggest to others using the suggested rice it just wouldn’t be the same with another type of rice.

      • Lavici

      Yes, it would…In Venezuela and most of Latin america we prepare arroz con pollo with Jasmine rice sin problema!
      We eat rice everyday, and that’s the most common one we have in Lat Am.

    • stephanie

    Made this per the recipe except used unpeeled cherry tomatoes which are flavorful anytime of year. Added California Arborio rice and cooked the suggested 25 minutes. Perfection! Thanks David :)

    • Tom Aikins

    I love one-pot dishes and this one looks yummy. I’ll be trying this soon with Jasmine rice (I’m in Thailand). I also a New Englander from Maine.

A

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