My Favorite Arroz Con Pollo Cubano

Total Time: 1 hr 50 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 tablespoon salt (sea or kosher)
• 1 teaspoon pepper, fresh ground
• 1/3 cup orange juice, fresh squeezed
• 1/3 cup lime juice, fresh squeezed
• 4 lbs chicken breasts, bone-in, skin removed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper, peeled, cored, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade without salt
• 6 saffron strands, toasted over medium heat for 30 seconds
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 small hot red pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 cups rice (valencia, short grain)
• 1/2-1 cup wine, dry
• 1 1/2 cups baby peas (frozen or fresh and steamed)
• 1 large sweet red pepper, roasted over an open flame, skinned, cored, seeded and cut into strips

Recipe

• 1 chop the garlic on a cutting board.
• 2 sprinkle the salt and pepper over the garlic and, with a fork, mash the garlic/salt/pepper into a paste.
• 3 combine the garlic paste, orange juice and lemon juice.
• 4 wash and pat dry the chicken breasts.
• 5 place chicken and garlic/juice mixture in a large zip-lock bag or into a glass dish with a cover.
• 6 refrigerate for at least one hour, turning the chicken pieces in the marinade midway through the hour.
• 7 heat the oil over medium heat in a paellera or wide, shallow pan.
• 8 remove chicken from marinade, reserving the marinade.
• 9 blot the chicken dry with paper towels and brown the pieces in the hot oil.
• 10 if necessary, do this in batches--allow the individual pieces to brown on both sides.
• 11 remove and set browned chicken aside.
• 12 in the same oil, saute the onion and green pepper about three minutes until onion is translucent.
• 13 add the broth, saffron, tomato paste, hot pepper, reserved marinade and the chicken and simmer for about three minutes.
• 14 add the rice and stir just enough to cover the rice with liquid.
• 15 if the rice is not covered, add enough wine to cover.
• 16 simmer, uncovered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked, about thirty minutes.
• 17 if necessary, add additional broth and/or wine.
• 18 when the chicken is almost done, warm the peas.
• 19 when the rice is cooked, remove from heat and garnish the dish with the peas and roasted red pepper strips.