Arroz Con Pollo

I know, it's been a loooong while since I posted.  Things (mostly work, argg) have been crazy... so crazy that my kitchen was collecting dust for a few months.  So sad, so sad...

I actually made the below dish awhile back when things were "sane" and just never got the chance to share it.  What I love most about this dish is the chicken flavors and fat cooked into the rice.  If you want a hearty warm meal (really perfect for the fall weather right now...), then give this dish a try!

Arroz Con Pollo
from Simple Recipes

Ingredients
Chicken:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Half of a whole chicken (chicken wings, thighs, breast)
- 1/2 cup flour for dredging
- salt, pepper, and paprika for flour
Rice:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 cups of medium or long grain white rice
- 3 cups of chicken stock*
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste or 1 cup of fresh diced tomatoes or canned tomatoes
- pinch of oregano
- salt to taste

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice.  They can range from 1:1 to 2:1.  If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Steps
1. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (a skillet that has a cover) on medium high heat. Put the flour in a wide bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan. Then don't stir too much or you will prevent it from browning. Let it brown and then stir a little to let more of it brown. Then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, garlic and rice mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes.

3. Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package, until the rice and chicken are done. Fluff the rice with a fork. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 2-4.