Rita's Recipe of the Week

Arroz con pollo

Ingredients

1/2 cup white wine - I used chardonnay

Pinch saffron threads or more to taste - this gives the rice a golden color and unique flavor

6 bone in, skin on chicken thighs, legs, or combo

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 large onion, diced fine

2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 large tomato, chopped

2 bay leaves - I used fresh

1-1/2 cups short grained rice - all I had was basmati so used that

3 cups chicken broth, plus more if needed

1 cup pimiento stuffed green olives, drained

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375. Combine wine and saffron in a cup and set aside. A little saffron goes a long way so that’s why you use just a pinch at first. Let it sit a bit before deciding to add more.

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large Dutch oven, heat a couple tablespoons oil over medium-high. Add chicken, skin side down; cook just until skin browns, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more; transfer to plate. It won’t be cooked through.

Add onion and garlic and turn heat to low. Cook until onion softens, about 4 minutes.

Turn heat to medium, then add tomato and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in wine-saffron mixture, bay leaves, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until wine almost evaporates, about 6 minutes.

Stir in rice, broth, and olives. Put chicken on top of rice, skin side up and scoot it around to nestle in.

Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to oven. Cook until liquid is absorbed and chicken is cooked through, 25 minutes or so.

If you want add a little more chicken broth for a moister rice. Let sit 10 minutes, then uncover and serve.