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Rice with Chicken |
¼ cup olive oil
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup coarsely chopped onion
½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 carrot, peeled and coarsely grated
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 large ripe tomato, coarsely chopped
1/12 cups long-grain rice
4 to 5 cups chicken broth, warmed
½ cup fresh or frozen green peas
Heat the oil in a wide skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned evenly, 6 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, and remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. Add the onion, bell pepper, carrot, and garlic to the pan drippings; cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat, 3 minutes. Season with the paprika, cumin, and oregano, and cook, stirring. 1 minute more. Stir in the tomato, and simmer until it releases its juice, about 3 minutes.
Add the rice, and stir until it has absorbed more of the oil. Place the chicken and peas on top of the rice, and pour 3 cups of the chicken broth over the top. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer until the liquid has been absorbed. It’s important not to stir the rice. If the mixture starts to dry out, add more broth, and cook until the rice is soft, 25 to 35 minutes. The rice should be moist and creamy. Serve at once.
Concha y Toro wishes to thank Ruth Van Waerebeek-Gonzalez for the recipe, an excerpt from her book, The Chilean Kitchen.