Recipe: Arroz con pollo, for a weeknight dinner, gets a whole

Serves 4

Cooks from all over Spain and Latin America each have a favorite way to make the famous rice and chicken dish, arroz con pollo. It's a perfect one-pot dinner for a school night. It's tricky to mess with perfection but I've tweaked my mother-in-law's version to add a whole-grain update with brown rice. Start by browning chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, take them out of the pan, and toast the rice briefly. Then add onion, garlic, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, green olives, and chicken stock. Since brown rice takes longer to cook than the chicken, simmer the rice with all the veggies but no chicken for half an hour. Nestle the thighs in the pan and continue cooking until they're cooked through and the rice is tender. If the rice is done but there's still a little broth at the bottom of the pot, that's OK. Bring the Dutch oven to the table to serve this appealing dish right from the pan. Once your household tastes arroz con pollo, it will, by popular demand, become a regular.

6

bone-in, skin-on thick thighs

Salt and pepper, to taste

1

tablespoon olive oil

1½

cups long-grain brown rice

1

medium onion, chopped

2

cloves garlic, chopped

1

red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch strips

1

yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 2-inch strips

1

pint cherry tomatoes, halved

½

cup pitted green olives

2

cups chicken stock

2

tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)

1. With scissors, trim excess flaps of skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes without disturbing, or until browned. Turn and cook 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the rice to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the rice begins to brown and pop.

4. Add the onion, garlic, and red and yellow peppers. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they start to soften.

5. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, olives, and stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Nestle the chicken into the rice. Cover and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees. (Total cooking time is 50 to 55 minutes.)

7. Sprinkle with parsley and bring the Dutch oven to the table.

Sally Pasley Vargas

Serves 4

Cooks from all over Spain and Latin America each have a favorite way to make the famous rice and chicken dish, arroz con pollo. It's a perfect one-pot dinner for a school night. It's tricky to mess with perfection but I've tweaked my mother-in-law's version to add a whole-grain update with brown rice. Start by browning chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, take them out of the pan, and toast the rice briefly. Then add onion, garlic, red and yellow bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, green olives, and chicken stock. Since brown rice takes longer to cook than the chicken, simmer the rice with all the veggies but no chicken for half an hour. Nestle the thighs in the pan and continue cooking until they're cooked through and the rice is tender. If the rice is done but there's still a little broth at the bottom of the pot, that's OK. Bring the Dutch oven to the table to serve this appealing dish right from the pan. Once your household tastes arroz con pollo, it will, by popular demand, become a regular.

1. With scissors, trim excess flaps of skin from the chicken thighs. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

2. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes without disturbing, or until browned. Turn and cook 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

3. Add the rice to the pan. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the rice begins to brown and pop.

4. Add the onion, garlic, and red and yellow peppers. Cook, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until they start to soften.

5. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, olives, and stock. Bring the liquid to a boil, turn the heat to low, and cover the pan. Simmer for 30 minutes.

6. Nestle the chicken into the rice. Cover and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh registers 165 degrees. (Total cooking time is 50 to 55 minutes.)

7. Sprinkle with parsley and bring the Dutch oven to the table.Sally Pasley Vargas