ARROZ CON POLLO WITH CAULIFLOWER RICE AND HOMEMADE SOFRITO
So, while everyone else is jumping on the health train the month of January, which is customary, I’m opting to only stick one foot on that train. It’s not that I don’t need to pay for my 2020 food sins, and there were many. Like, nine months worth of glutinous eating and drinking like I was on an all-expense paid vacation to Vegas. I just know myself, and I cannot sustain an extreme diet or fad for very long before I find myself sitting in a closet eating a bag of Cheetos hoping not to get caught.
That’s what I love about this version of a classic Latin American recipe. It is an attempt to eat healthier without sacrificing taste. And this, folks, has a lot of taste. This is one of the best recipes I’ve made in a while. It is based off of one by American’s Test Kitchen which is perfection as is, but I am making it a little healthier and easier by using boneless skinless chicken thighs and cauliflower rice, along with a few other tweaks and shortcuts.
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium yellow onion, large dice
1 Poblano or cubanelle chili, cored & seeded, large dice
5 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tsp. cumin
1 small bunch of cilantro with stems, about 1 cup
2lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in chunks
Kosher salt & fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
1 16oz. bag Cauliflower rice (or 2 cups rice)
2 packets Goya Sazon with Coriander & Annatto
2 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup green olives, halved (optional)*
Juice from one lemon + 1 lemon sliced into wedges
2 tbsp. capers
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup frozen peas
*NOTE: Olives are listed as optional because I did not use them, but they are traditionally used.
DIRECTIONS:
To make the sofrito add the onion, poblano pepper, garlic, cumin and cilantro to a food processor and pulse until it is finely chopped. Remove to a bowl and set aside. This can be made ahead earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. This makes a lot of sofrito, so I only used half. You can freeze the leftover sofrito for the next time you make it.
Preheat your oven to 350. Dry the chicken with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat a dutch oven or other oven-proof pan that has a lid over medium heat on the stove. Add about 1/4 cup oil and heat for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken in one layer so that it’s not crowded and every piece is touching the pan, cooking in batches if needed. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Flip and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. It will not be cooked all the way through at this point. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Add sofrito to the pan and cook for a few minutes, stirring almost constantly. Cook until the mixture has softened and is fragrant. Next add the cauliflower and raise the heat to medium-high. Stir together and allow to cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle the packets of Sazon over the mixture and stir to combine, allowing it to heat through for a minute.
Sprinkle in the capers, olives, lemon juice, chicken broth and bay leaf and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the chicken on top, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, but do not lift the lid and allow the pot to rest on the stove for 15 minutes before you touch it. Sprinkle in the peas, remove the bay leaf, stir well and then serve with lemon slices on the side.