Arroz Con Pollo

An amazingly flavorful chicken and rice dish.  This has comfortably planted itself as one of my go to comfort food meals.  It is latin in concept, but it can be improvised in so many ways.  This version I made with ingredients from the pantry, and you can basically improvise as wanted.


ingredients:
one very large serving or two medium servings
1.  2 chicken thighs
2.  2 cloves of garlic
3.  table salt
4.  white vinegar
5.  dried oregano
6.  black pepper
7.  2 whole cloves (the spice) (if in powder form just use a pinch)
8.  1/8 tsp cumin seeds (if in powder form use 1/16 tsp)
9.  1/8 tsp coriander seeds (if in powder form use 1/16 tsp)
10.  1/4 of a medium onion - finely chopped
11.  1/2 of green bell pepper (1/4 finely chopped, 1/4 roasted whole)
12.  1/16 tsp red pepper flakes
13.  1/2 cup (plus extra to keep rice moist) chicken stock
14.  2 TBL ketchup
15.  2 TBL water
16.  1/2 tsp tapatillo hot sauce (this is a mexican hot sauce.  it is somewhat spicy and has good flavor.  if you can't find this, any good flavorful hot sauce will do.  I don't recommend regular tabasco, as it it is pretty flavorless and very spicey, but a flavored tabasco will do.)
17.  3 TBL chopped up olives (manzanilla are preferred, but I used kalamata and it was perfectly fine)
18.  3/4 cup of rice (I used medium grain rice for some creaminess, but you can use longer grain rice for a drier arroz con pollo)
19.  Wedge of lemon to squeeze over top of rice
20.  Regular olive oil and Extra virgin olive oil

mandatory ingredients:
the chicken, garlic, cumin, onions, bell pepper, chicken stock, rice, and ketchup (or tomatoes) I feel are mandatory.  Everything else can be improvised.
recommended but did not use:
I purposely left out cilantro because my dad doesn't like the flavor of it.  Traditionally though, it should be used in arroz con pollo.  I added ground coriander to try and compensate for its absence.  2 TBL of frozen peas can be added to the rice right at the end.  1 tsp of chopped capers can be added with the olives.  Jarred pimentos can be used instead of the roasted bell pepper.  I didn't have a can of tomatoes, so I used ketchup instead, which I would wager is probably is better than tomatoes.  Again, improvise with what you have.

recipe:
1.  Sprinkle all sides of chicken thighs with 1/4 tsp of table salt then transfer to large bowl.  Mince 1 clove of garlic on a cutting board, then sprinkle 1/4 tsp table salt over it.  Using the flat side of the knife, smush the salt and minced garlic together.  Wipe off knife, regather the garlic, and smush again with the flat side of a knife.  Repeat this until a paste forms.
2.  Transfer garlic paste to a small bowl and to it add 1 tsp white vinegar, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, and 1/8 tsp ground black pepper.  Mix, then pour over the chicken thighs.  Toss thoroughly until the chicken thighs have been coated on all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3.
3.  Meanwhile, add 2 cloves, 1/8 tsp cumin seeds, and 1/8 tsp coriander seeds to a mortar and pestle.  Grind until it becomes a fine powder.  Set aside.
4.  Finely dice 1/4 of a medium onion and 1/4 of a green bell pepper.  The volume of the onions and green bell pepper should be roughly equal.  If not, chop more to match their volume.
5.  Adjust your oven rack to the highest position, then put it on HIGH broil.  Place the other 1/4 of the green bell pepper onto foil then onto a baking tray skin side up.  Place into oven onto highest rack and broil for 3-7 minutes, until skin is almost completely black.  Place blackened bell pepper into a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap.  After 10 min, remove plastic wrap and peel the outside skin of the bell pepper until nearly all the charred skin has been removed.  Roughly dice the roasted bell pepper and then transfer to a small bowl to be used later at the end of cooking.
6.  After the chicken has rested for 1 hour, heat a pot that is just wide enough to hold both pieces of chicken over medium heat.  Add 1 tsp of olive oil.
note: - If you are doubling the recipe, use a pan with a tightly fitting lid, that is just wide enough to hold 4 chicken thighs.
7.  While the oil heats, mince 1 clove of garlic.  After the oil has heated up for 5 min, add in garlic and toast just until very fragrant.  Add in the diced onions and diced green bell pepper (not the roasted bell pepper), 1/16 tsp red pepper flakes, ground spices, and a very tiny pinch of salt.
note: - depending on the brand of chicken stock you use, the resulting dish may or may not have enough salt.  Be very light with the salt until you taste at the end.
8.  Saute for 5 minutes until the vegetables have softened.  Push the vegetables to the side, then add the chicken thighs, skin side down into the center of the pot.  Saute just until chicken becomes opaque, 2-3 minutes.  Flip over and cook another 2-3 minutes.
9.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 TBL ketchup, 2 TBL water, and 1/2 tsp of tapatillo hot sauce.  Stir until everything is fully dissolved, cover the pot, and simmer over medium low for 10 minutes.
10.  Roughly chop 3 TBL of olives.  Add it, plus 3/4 cup of rice into the rice.  Mix until all the rice has been coated in liquid and the majority of it is submerged under the liquid.  Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium low heat.
11.  Uncover, and gently mix the rice, scooping the rice from the bottom onto the top.  You want there to be some pooling of liquid.  Add more stock if the rice is too dry.  Cover and cook another 10 minutes.
12.  Uncover and taste the rice.  You want it to be al dente.  If it still has a slight plasticy, gummy interior, gently mix from the bottom up, cover and cook another 5-10 minutes, just until it loses the plasticy interior but is still firm and al dente.  Add more stock so there is a small amount of pooling.
13.  After rice has finished cooking.  Take the pot off heat, then transfer the chicken thighs only to a large bowl.  Using two spoons, discard the skin, then tear the chicken into bite sized pieces.  Discard the bone.  To the chicken add 1/2 tsp white vinegar and 2 TBL of the diced roasted bell pepper you made earlier.  Mix then add the chicken pieces back into the rice and gently mix.
14.  Taste the rice.  You are checking for salt but you are also checking for richness.  Depending on how much fat the chicken released, it may or may not be rich enough.  I actually like my arroz con pollo pretty rich and even a drop oily, so I add anywhere from 1-6 tsp of extra virgin olive oil into the rice.  Adjust salt as well.  It may need none, it may need a lot.  Mix, taste again and adjust salt and extra virgin olive oil.
15.  Serve immediately with a lemon wedge on the side to squeeze over if desired.