Peruvian Arroz con Pollo: Chicken and Rice

Peruvian Arroz con Pollo: Chicken and Rice

17 Ingredients

1 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

4 spinach leaves

4 skinless chicken drumsticks and thighs

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup yellow pepper paste, (ají amarillo)

1 cup beer

2 cups chicken broth

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups long-grain rice

1/4 cup sweet peas (petit pois)

1/4 cup diced carrots

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

1 cup white corn

Salsa Criolla (ingredients listed below)*

Steps

• 1) Blend, in blender cilantro with spinach and water to make homogeneous paste. Set aside.

• 2) Dry chicken with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place oil in a pot over medium heat and fry the chicken until chicken is golden brown on both sides, about 7 minutes. Remove from pot and place in plate.

• 3) In same pot, fry onion, garlic and yellow pepper paste, and stir for 5 minutes. Put in the blended cilantro and spinach, and fry for 3 minutes. Add beer, chicken broth and chicken to pot.

• 4) Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 20 minutes. If necessary, season with more salt and pepper

• 5) In another pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add rice and stir well. Add petit pois (sweet peas), carrots, pepper, corn and 3 1/2 cups of the broth you used to cook the chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to the lowest possible setting and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir with a fork and cover again.

• 6) When rice is ready, serve in four plates; place a chicken drumstick over it and salsa criolla on the side. If desired, you may also add some of the juice in which the chicken was cooked.

• 7) To make the salsa criolla: Cut 1/2 red onion lengthwise into very thin slices, wash thoroughly and drain. Blend with 1/2 tomato (cut into very thin strips), cilantro leaves, salt, pepper, lemon juice from one lemon and one tablespoon of olive oil. If you wish, you may add pepper strips.