Spanish Chicken & Rice

The rice in this recipe should be more on the wet side, not dry and fluffy like some rice dishes.  Serves 8.

Chicken & Rice - goes great with a nice salad!

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, chopped

3 tbl. olive oil

4 lbs. chicken thighs

salt & pepper (enough to sprinkle on both sides of chicken before cooking)

1 large green bell pepper, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped

10 oz. bag of yellow rice (do NOT use the seasoning packet if it comes with one)

5 cups chicken broth (low sodium)

15 oz. can of Chickpeas  (Garbanzo beans), drained

1 Bay leaf

2 tbl. Mojo seasoning

8 oz. frozen English peas (do not thaw out)

½ cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers (or pimento)

Directions

·        In a large Dutch oven, cook the chopped bacon until the fat is rendered, but do not brown it

·        Remove bacon pieces with a split spoon and set aside for later use.  Reserve about 1 tbl. of
the bacon drippings and allow to cool in the same pan.

·        When cool, add olive oil to the bacon drippings

·        Lay chicken thighs out on a tray and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper

·        Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium heat until hot

·        Cook the chicken in the oil (start with the skin side up) until thoroughly cooked, but not browned (you’ll have to do this in several batches), turning once with tongs or a spatula.

·        Remove cooked chicken with tongs, set aside and allow to cool

·        Remove the bones from the chicken and cut meat into medium sized chunks

·        Scrape up all the pan drippings, and reserve along with about ½ cup of the oil, discarding the rest of the oil

·        Turn pan up to medium-low and add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, and bacon (this process is called making a Sofrito in Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American cooking. It typically consists of aromatic ingredients cut into small pieces and sauteed or braised in cooking oil.)

·        Cook over medium heat for about five minutes, stirring occasionally.

·        Add the rice (dry, not pre-cooked) and reduce heat to low

·        Continue cooking 4 minutes (if seems too dry add a little olive oil)

·        Add the chicken broth, Garbanzo beans, Bay leaf, and Mojo seasoning and stir well

·        Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally

·        After 45 minutes, add the frozen English peas and roasted red pepper (or pimento) and chicken pieces

·        Cook over low heat until the rice is thoroughly done (you’ll need to stir and scrape the pan during cooking to keep the rice from sticking to the pan), about 30 minutes.

·        Remove the Bay leaf and serve hot (garnish with roasted red peppers!)

About 15 years ago we built our house out in the country, doing much of the work ourselves to save money.  We spent many nights and weekends there, and were always exhausted by the end of a day’s work.  One night Tom made this Chicken & Rice recipe on a Coleman stove on a board propped between two ladders, and we ate sitting on the floor amongst the sawdust and lumber.  It was the best meal we ever ate, and we always think of that night when we make Chicken & Rice.