‘Chicken & rice’ is a natural pairing. From hauling out old retro recipes that call for cream of mushroom soup to treading the path to Indian biriyani, there is universal appeal. Arroz con pollo is arguably on the top five list of permutations and that’s where I started this iteration. The ongoing origin debate between Spain, Puerto Rico, and numerous other Latin American destinations is immaterial to my taste buds.
The chicken itself in many pedestrian recipes craves more excitement so I borrowed a yogurt marinade technique from Indian tandoor albeit with wildly different spicing. Starting the chicken separately in a blazing hot pan allows interestingly delicious charred bits to form and rescues the dish from the mundane. Extra peppers and mushrooms make it ‘busy’ compared to simpler versions of the classic and you can of course omit, alter, or otherwise improvise with what surplus vegetables are on hand at the moment. Add some shrimp, sauté some chorizo, stir in a handful of fresh peas, dice a few courgettes, or go nuts with freshly roasted… nuts. Nearly all would work in there. I doubt seriously if my mix of everything after “chicken” and “rice” on the ingredient list is ever the same twice.
Here I use only tomato paste to impart colour but on the right side of the Atlantic you’d likely see saffron for that purpose. Across the ocean to the left they’d employ annatto (oil or paste) to do the same. All three of course have different effects on flavour. Choose wisely.
Mexican Rice With Shaggy Chicken
Serves 4-6 as a main dish
480g long grain rice, uncooked but well-rinsed
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
250ml plain yogurt
3 + 3 large cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 + 1 tablespoons total mixed Mexican spices *
4-6 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large yellow or white onion, peeled and diced
1 – 2 bell peppers, cored and diced
1 – 3 hot chiles, any variety, cleaned and minced fine (optional)
100g white or button mushrooms, cleaned and diced finely (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
900ml chicken stock
coriander leaves for garnish
lime wedges for serving
* Here you want a mix of ~at least~ good paprika, cumin seed, black peppercorn, granulated garlic, and Mexican oregano in roughly that order from most to least to match your own tastes. I keep a large jar mixed to my liking for everything from tacos to bean dip and grind it only as needed. Making your own avoids salt and fillers like cornstarch found in commercial preparations.
These measurements fit my 3.3 litre (3.5 quart) braiser perfectly. Scale up or down slightly to just fill your particular pan for the best absorption during the bake. A low, wide shape is best for these sorts of rice dishes – think paella pan – but if pressed to use a more traditional pot (e.g. Dutch oven) try to keep the depth of ingredients under three inches or so. Also know that heat retention from cast iron can effect cooking times and your specific bag of rice might need slightly more or less liquid. Adjust based on your gear and supplies.
Method:
Preheat oven to 175c/350f
On each chicken breast, slice cross cuts into the thickest part of the breast to help even cook time. In a wide shallow bowl combine the yogurt, half the garlic, and two tablespoons mixed spices. Add the prepared chicken and stir or rub to completely coat in the yogurt mix. Allow to marinate for at least half an hour and up to overnight.
The chicken can be grilled outside over charcoal with superb results but don’t cook it completely through. It has more cook time to finish with the rice. If no grill is available, proceed as below under good ventilation.
In an uncoated cast iron pan over medium-high heat well preheated, add two tablespoons oil and follow immediately with the marinated chicken breasts. Work in batches if necessary so as not to crowd the pan. Allow some char on the chicken before turning, approximately ninety seconds per side at a time for a total of six minutes (four turns). The chicken should not be cooked completely through at this point. Remove to rest for fifteen minutes before cutting into generous pieces, roughly 3-4 from each breast conserving any accumulated resting juices.
In a cast iron oven-safe brasier (enamelled for preference here) and over medium-low heat, sauté the onion and remaining garlic in the last two tablespoons oil until fragrant, about three minutes. Add the rice and remaining mixed spice. Stir well paying attention to coat all grains evenly with oil and cook until spices are fragrant, about two minutes. Add the peppers, chiles, and mushrooms and sauté a further three minutes until only slightly softened. Add the tomato paste and chicken stock stirring well to incorporate. Settle the chicken pieces into the rice along with any resting juices.
Cover and bake until the rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid and is tender, anywhere from 30-45 minutes depending on your equipment and ingredient mix. To ensure moist rice be careful not to over bake remembering that the dish itself will hold heat. Fluff with a fork as you dish it out and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve while still warm with fresh lime wedges to squeeze on some final brightness.
Refry any leftovers the next day in a lightly oiled pan for the best reheating results as microwaves are less kind to the texture. –th v1.8
