Colombian Style Arroz Con Pollo

I went to Colombia last year and since then, I have tried to make almost every recipe I come across that is Colombian. In the Western United States, we are very used to Mexican style Latino food which can have a heavy emphasis on chile. My wife is from New Mexico and the chile is a staple for Latinos and white folk alike. The Colombian food that I tried was not like that. It is more mild but I like the flavor combinations none the less. Achiote is featured in many dishes as well like this one.

Sazón Goya con Achiote is a pre-made seasoning mix. It's easy enough to make from scratch (http://www.chowhound.com/post/replicate-goya-sazon-695947). Use about 1.5 teaspoons for each packet of Sazón in the recipe.

Yields 6-8 servings

Ingredients:

The Chicken:

2-3 boneless chicken breast halves

Water (enough to cook the chicken)

The Rice:

1 cup long-grain white rice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 envelope of Sazón Goya con Achiote or Sazón Goya con Azafrán

1 teaspoon salt

The Vegetables:

1 cup carrots, chopped

1 cup green beans

1 cup peas

Water (enough to cook the vegetables)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium green bell pepper, sliced

1 envelope of Sazón Goya con Achiote or Sazón Goya con Azafrán

Salt to taste

The Sauce:

1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

Salt to taste

¼-½ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook the chicken in enough water at medium heat for 30-35 minutes. Once cooked, remove them from the pot and let them rest. Reserve the chicken stock to make the rice.

2. To make the rice, boil two cups of the chicken stock in a medium pot, add the rice, oil, Sazón Goya and salt. Cover and reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Once cooked, fluff the rice with a fork.

3. To cook the vegetables, boil enough water in a medium pot, add the carrots, green beans and salt. Cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. After 4 minutes, add the peas and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, drain and set aside.

4. Once the chicken is cool and rested, shred it with two forks and set aside.

5. To make the sauce, put the tomato sauce in a medium bowl, add the cumin, garlic, onion and salt. Stir well and add the shredded chicken. Make sure the chicken is coated thoroughly with the sauce.

6. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pan at medium heat and add the bell peppers. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the salt and Sazón Goya and cook for another 3 minutes or until they’re softened. Add the chicken and cook for another 2 minutes or until the chicken is heated thoroughly.

7. To assemble the arroz con pollo, put the rice, cooked vegetables, chicken and peppers and chopped cilantro in a large serving dish. Stir well before serving.

Bacon Avocado Chicken Bombs

I found this recipe while browsing reddit. I thought it was a good recipe, but my wife, who loves bacon said, "I thought it would pack more of a flavor punch."

Be careful to not add too much lime juice to the guac.

I found 10 minutes in the oven to be way too short. Now that could just be my oven, but I would up the temp to 425 and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Makes 8 chicken bombs

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados

½ white onion, finely chopped

½ tomato, chopped

2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped

½ Tbsp. kosher salt

2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

8 bacon strips

1 Tbsp. canola oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Using a knife, cut around the pit of the avocado, separating the halves from each other. Remove the pit and use a spoon to scoop out the avocado. In a large bowl, combine the avocado, onion, tomato, cilantro, salt, and lime juice. Mash and stir with a fork until there are no large chunks of avocado left.

3. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on all sides. Slice chicken breasts in half crosswise. Cut a slit into the center of each half to make a pocket. Take a heaping spoonful of the guacamole and pack it into the pocket. Pinch the edges of the chicken closed.

4. Wrap the chicken with two strips of bacon, making sure the ends of the bacon all end up on the same side of the chicken.

5. Heat oil in a pan over high heat. Sear the bacon-wrapped chicken for two to three minutes on each side. Remember to cook the sides of the chicken as well. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve!

Chicken Biriyani

I love ginger. I will try pretty much any chicken recipe that has ginger and this one does not disappoint. It's possible to use brown rice but you have to cook the brown rice half way before you put it into the dutch oven.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

1 cup basmati rice
3 tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. whole coriander
3 chiles de arbol, crumbled by hand
1 ½ tbsp. kosher salt
2 ½ tsp. ground Saigon cinnamon
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
4 skinless, bone-in chicken legs
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 2" piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
¼ cup toasted sliced almonds, for garnish
Fried shallots, for garnish
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Put the rice in a small bowl and cover with water; let it soak for 20 minutes. Drain the rice and set it aside.

2. Heat the oil in a 4-qt. Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the coriander and chiles, and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the salt, cinnamon, garlic, chicken, onion, ginger, and jalapeno, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 6 minutes.

3. Stir in the reserved rice and 1 ¼ cups water, and bring to a simmer. Cover pot and transfer to the oven; cook until rice is tender and chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer the pot to a rack and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff the rice with a fork. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with almonds, fried shallots, and cilantro.

Rustic Canyon Family Meal Fried Chicken

This recipe comes from Jeremy Fox in Bon Appetit. I like fried chicken and my wife adores fried chicken. This passed the test. Make sure to let the chicken cook enough in the fryer and then in the oven to cook through all the way. If the temperature of the oil drops the thicker/larger breast pieces may not get done all the way.

SERVINGS: 4–6

Ingredients

1 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
½ cup chopped peeled ginger
½ cup garlic cloves (20–25), smashed, peeled
1 3½–4-pound chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Vegetable oil (for frying; about 3 cups)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more

Preparation
Combine mirin, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, and garlic in a large resealable plastic bag and add chicken. Seal bag, turn to coat, and chill 2–12 hours.


Preheat oven to 350°. Pour oil into a large cast-iron skillet to come 1" up sides. Heat over medium-high until an instant-read thermometer registers 350°.


Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off; season all over with salt and pepper. Combine flour, 2 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper in a shallow bowl or large resealable plastic bag; toss chicken in flour mixture to coat.


Working with 5 pieces of chicken at a time, remove chicken from flour, shaking off excess, and fry, turning, until golden brown all over, about 3 minutes. Lay chicken skin side up on a wire rack placed inside a rimmed baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 10–15 minutes. Season with salt.

Coq Au Vin

This fabulous recipe comes from Food and Wine. Luscious, complex, rich - the chicken falls off the bone.

INGREDIENTS
8 chicken drumsticks (2 pounds)
Kosher salt
Pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 slice of bacon, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms (3 ounces)
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 cup brandy
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup chicken stock
2 thyme sprigs, plus chopped thyme for garnish

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust all over with 2 tablespoons of the flour. In a large cast-iron casserole, heat the oil. Add the chicken and cook over moderately high heat, turning, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add the bacon to the casserole and cook until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the carrot, onion, celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and cook until reduced by half, 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour until incorporated. Add the wine, stock and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat, turning the chicken occasionally, until very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Simmer the sauce until thickened and reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and discard the thyme sprigs. Return the chicken to the sauce and heat through. Garnish with chopped thyme and serve.

MAKE AHEAD
The coq au vin can be refrigerated for 3 days.

Grilled Chile Chicken with Saffron Potatoes

I've been on a real grilled chicken jag lately. I've made it about 10 different ways in the last 2 months.  This recipe comes from Food and Wine. I love indian food because it's able to merge spicy and savory and cool and all sorts of different things in beautiful ways.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 chiles de árbol
2 garlic cloves, crushed
One 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, chopped
One 2-inch piece peeled fresh turmeric, chopped, or 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 serrano chiles, stemmed and chopped
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more for oiling
1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
4 whole chicken legs (2 pounds)
1 pound large fingerling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Pinch of saffron threads
Chopped mint and cilantro, and plain yogurt seasoned with salt, for serving

In a skillet, toast the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, mustard seeds and chiles de árbol over 
low heat, stirring, until very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly, then grind in a spice grinder.

In a blender, mince the garlic, ginger, turmeric and serranos with 1/4 cup of the oil. Add the cilantro and the remaining 
1/4 cup of oil and puree to a coarse paste. Stir in the spice mixture and 1 teaspoon of salt.

In a bowl, massage the marinade all over and under the chicken skin. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan and brush with oil. Grill the chicken over medium-low heat, turning, until golden and cooked through, about 40 minutes.

In a saucepan, cover the potatoes with water and add the butter and saffron. Simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and season with salt.

Arrange the chicken on the potatoes on a platter and garnish with mint and cilantro. Serve with the seasoned yogurt.

MAKE AHEAD

The marinade can be refrigerated overnight.

Asian Inspired Grilled Chicken

This recipe was inspired by the following recipe in Food and Wine. I didn't have any star anise so I decided to come up with my own marinade.

Ingredients

1 c tamari or soy sauce

1/2 c Asian fish sauce

1 c honey

juice of 2 limes

zest of 1/2 lime

1/4 c chipotle chili in adobo sauce

1 5" x 1" piece of ginger cut into matchsticks

5 chicken drumsticks skin on - approx 1 lb

2 chicken breasts with or without skin - approx 1 lb

4 chicken thighs skin on - approx 1 lb

Directions

Warm the tamari and fish sauce in a sauce pan. Add the honey and stir till the honey is fully mixed in. Add the lime juice, zest, and adobo. Stir to incorporate.

Let the marinade cool for a few minutes, add the ginger. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and pour the marinade over the chicken.

Cover and put in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken pieces half way through to make sure all the chicken gets dunked in the marinade.

Grill for 40 minutes, 20 minutes each side, basting the chicken every 5 minutes with the marinade. I usually start with the skin side down. 

Roast Chicken with Saffron and Lemons

This recipe comes from Saveur. Once again a real winner! I used more saffron because I love the stuff. I know a guy who travels to the Middle East regularly and he brings me saffron, so I am a bit extravagant with it. 

The lemon slices are the most important ingredient because they keep the chicken moist and tender. 

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp. saffron threads
2 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. whole black peppercorns
1 (3½-4-lb.) chicken
6 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon, thinly sliced

Butcher's string, for tying

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oven to 400°. Heat an 8" skillet over medium. Cook saffron until lightly toasted and fragrant, 1–2 minutes; let cool and transfer to a mortar and pestle. Add salt and peppercorns; grind into a coarse powder. Slide fingers under the skin of chicken breast to create a pocket. Rub spices over and under the skin, and inside the cavity. Place rosemary and lemon slices under the skin and inside the cavity. Tie legs together using butcher's string and tuck wings under back; roast until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 165°, about 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before carving.

Honey Grilled Chicken with Citrus Salad

This recipe appears just a little pretentious at first - 3 specific types of oranges. Do they really taste that much different? Especially when mixed all together? I have never heard of Cara Cara. I am still not sure, but I will say that I liked the overall result. The slightly sour citrus mix was a nice counterpoint to the honey.

SERVES 4–6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup fresh orange juice
½ cup honey
3 tbsp. rosemary, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs. skin on chicken, legs and thighs
1½ cups cilantro leaves and tender stems
3 tbsp. pistachios, roughly chopped
15 pitted dates, halved lengthwise
1 blood orange, peeled and sliced ¼" thick crosswise
1 navel orange, peeled and sliced ¼" thick crosswise
1 Cara Cara, peeled and sliced ¼" thick crosswise
1 red grapefruit, peeled and sliced ¼" thick crosswise
1 lime, peeled and sliced ¼" thick crosswise

INSTRUCTIONS

Mix orange juice, honey, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a bowl; add chicken and toss to combine. Marinate 30 minutes, or until ready to use. Heat a gas grill to medium. (Alternatively, heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat.) Remove chicken from marinade, and transfer to grill; cook skin-side down, flipping once, and basting occasionally with remaining sauce, until charred and cooked through, 12–15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and let rest for 15 minutes before serving. Meanwhile, toss cilantro, pistachios, dates, and citrus pieces; serve with chicken.

Fried Chicken

This recipe by Jason Weisberger is excellent. It's odd to me that I found it on boingboing.net, but I guess that's the nature of the internet nowadays. Everything is sort of everywhere. I used gluten free flour, mostly garbanzo flour and it came out amazeballs. The key really is letting the chicken break down for as long as possible in the buttermilk. 

As for frying, using a cast iron chicken fryer is a good idea. I decided to buy a used one and it really was a good decision. They are nice and deep and perfect for well, frying stuff.

With the gluten free flour, the color during cooking doesn't quite work the same as regular flour. It gets darker faster but that doesn't necessarily mean it's done. For my stove, it seemed like the pieces needed more like 7-8 minutes total cooking time, rather than 12 as is mentioned in the recipe. I used a timer and I would recommend that you do as well to make sure you get consistent cook times for all the pieces. 

Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into uniform size pieces
2 Cups buttermilk
Some Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce
Fresh ground pepper
2 Cups All purpose flour
2-3 Tbsp of Creole seasoning
Several cups of vegetable oil (I use grape seed oil exclusively now)

Creole Seasoning

2-1/2 Tbsp paprika
2 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp cayenne
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried thyme

The creole seasoning is Emeril Lagasse's recipe. Use teaspoons instead of tablespoons to make the perfect amount for the fried chicken.

Gear:

Gallon Ziploc freezer bag
Deep skillet or chicken fryer
Tongs
Cookie sheet
Papertowels
Cookie cooling rack

Place the chicken pieces into a ziploc freezer bag. Pour in enough buttermilk to cover the meat and then add 1 Tbsp of hot sauce and 1/2 tsp of freshly ground pepper. Squeeze as much air out of the bag as you can and seal it. Refrigerate the bag of chicken for 8 to 48 hours. Day 3 chicken is way better than Day 1.

Fill the skillet about 1/3rd with oil. Heat for approx. 7 minutes on medium to medium-high.

Mix flour and creole seasoning in a big bowl.

Dredge several pieces of chicken, getting them completely covered in breading, and then transfer them to the hot oil. Let them fry for about 12 minutes, turning once halfway through. Look for a good golden brown where maybe the tips and thin edges are just starting to blacken and then remove.

Mustard and White Wine Braised Chicken

Another winner recipe from Saveur. I really like the legs, but I know some people prefer the breast meat and I think this recipe would work fine with bone-in, skin-on breasts.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. chicken thighs and drumsticks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
¼ cup whole grain mustard
1 tbsp. finely chopped thyme
2 tbsp. roughly chopped tarragon, for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper; working in batches, cook chicken, flipping once, until browned, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; set aside. Add shallots and garlic to pan, cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 3-5 minutes. Add wine, stock, mustard, and thyme; bring to a boil. Return chicken to the pan with any juices, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°.

2. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and keep warm. Return saucepan to stove; bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 8­-10 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken; garnish with tarragon.

Mr. B's Gumbo Ya Ya

This recipe comes from Saveur, and as usual, I think it is excellent. Because I'm not a big fan of butter both from a taste perspective and health perspective, I have experimented with making the roux with oil. I used olive oil and gluten free flour according to the proportions (1 c oil to 1-3/4 c flour) listed in the roux article.

INGREDIENTS

1 (3 ½-lb.) whole chicken
2 medium onions (1 quartered, 1 finely chopped)
3 stalks celery (2 halved, 1 finely chopped)
2 tbsp. black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
2 medium carrots, halved
2 sprigs thyme
16 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 ½ cups flour
1 each red and green bell pepper, minced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced
1 tbsp. Creole seasoning
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. crushed red chile flakes
Cooked white rice

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring chicken, quartered onion, halved celery, peppercorns, 2 bay, carrots, thyme sprigs, and 10 cups water to a boil in an 8-qt. saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until chicken is cooked through, 35-40 minutes. Remove chicken; cool, then shred meat. Strain stock; discard solids and set aside.

2. Heat butter in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in flour; cook, stirring, to make a dark roux, 18-20 minutes. Add remaining chopped onion, celery, and bay, plus bell peppers, garlic, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add andouille, Creole seasoning, cayenne, dried thyme, and chile flakes; cook until fat begins to render from sausage, 3-4 minutes. Stir in 5 ½ cups of reserved stock (chill remainder for another use); bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; cook, stirring, until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken; cook until hot, 2 minutes more. Serve with white rice.

Chicken-Chile Soup

This recipe is from Justin Chapple via Food and Wine. 

Time to break out the frozen turkey broth from Thanksgiving! I also had to use pasilla chiles and they were great. They were spicy and added a great depth of flavor to the soup. 

I cooked the chiles, onion, and garlic by themselves for a bit and let them brown nicely. The chiles especially got good and charred before adding the coriander.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 poblano or pasilla chiles—stemmed, seeded and thinly sliced
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
Kosher salt
2 quarts chicken stock or low-sodium broth
4 cups shredded rotisserie chicken (1 1/4 pounds)
Two 15-ounce cans hominy, rinsed and drained

Chopped cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges, for garnish

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the chiles, onion, garlic, coriander and a generous pinch of salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are softened, about 8 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the chicken and hominy and simmer over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Season the soup with salt. Ladle into shallow bowls, garnish with cilantro, sliced radishes and lime wedges and serve.

MAKE AHEAD The soup can be refrigerated for 2 days. Reheat gently before serving.

Pesto with Chicken and Tomatoes

My wife loves this recipe.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 pint tomatoes (grape or cherry)

Olive oil
Salt and pepper

White wine

1 lb pasta like ziti or penne
Pesto

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or tin foil. Lightly coat with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook until they start to burst and shrivel. 

Cook the pasta. 

Meanwhile, cube the chicken into smallish pieces. Season with salt and pepper and cook in olive oil over medium high heat until the cubes are browned all over. Add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and scrape up all the chicken bits. 

Toss in the tomatoes, pasta and pesto and mix well. Serve immediately. 

Mexican Chicken Soup

Jane Coxwell contributed this recipe to Food and Wine and she deserves some definite props. I loved the cinnamon vibe. I think you could use corn tortillas instead just fine.

10 cups water
One 3 1/2-pound chicken
3 medium tomatoes, cored and quartered
1 medium carrot, sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 small cinnamon stick
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
Salt
Pepper
2 small flour tortillas, halved
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

In a saucepan, combine the water, chicken, tomatoes, carrot, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, cinnamon and the 1/2 cup of cilantro. Add a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover partially and simmer over moderately low heat for 30 minutes, skimming as necessary. Discard the cinnamon stick and continue simmering until the chicken is cooked through, 30 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, toast the tortillas over moderate heat, turning once, until crisp in spots, 3 minutes. Cut the tortillas into thin strips.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool slightly. Shred the meat; discard the skin and bones. Return the chicken to the saucepan and reheat the soup. Stir in the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls. Garnish with the tortilla strips and cilantro and serve.

Arroz con Pollo

José Andrés contributed this recipe to Food and Wine. Ugh what a mess I made. I tried to make this recipe with brown rice and it was a ginormous failure. Otherwise, my wife and child and I all really liked the flavor. My boy loves chicken and this was good chicken. The brown rice, not so much. ;)

3 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt
Pepper
1 medium Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
4 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon sweet pimentón de la Vera (smoked Spanish paprika)
1/2 pound oyster or cremini mushrooms, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 cups water
1 cup Bomba or Calasparra rice
Small pinch of saffron threads
Hot sauce, for serving

Working over a bowl, grate the cut side of the tomatoes on the large holes of a box grater; discard the skins.

In a very large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, add it to the skillet skin side down and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until nicely browned on both sides; transfer the chicken to a plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. Add the onion and green pepper, season with salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until just starting to brown, 10 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and pimentón and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the grated tomatoes and cook, stirring, until the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and cook over moderately high heat until they start to soften, 3 minutes.

Add the water to the skillet and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, saffron and a generous pinch of salt and return to a boil. Nestle the chicken in the rice and cook over moderately low heat, without stirring, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Season the dish with salt and pepper and serve with hot sauce.

Ma's Chicken Cacciatore (Hunter Style)

This is my mother's recipe. :)

6 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup or more of olive oil
Flour
Salt pepper
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
1 yellow onion sliced thinly
6-8 small red and yellow peppers
1/2 to 3/4 cup red wine
1 can of crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon of gravy master (optional)
1 cup of sliced cremini mushrooms
Fresh basil, cut into ribbons
Fresh oregano, chopped
Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Chicken broth or water

Season the flour with salt and pepper and then dredge the chicken in the flour; shake off the excess.

Brown the chicken in the olive oil slowly on all sides. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Now add garlic, onions, peppers and mushrooms to pan, cook and stir up the drippings for about 5-6 minutes until they are softened. Add back the chicken.

Combine the tomatoes, gravy master, wine, spices and add to the pan. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30-35 minutes, turning once. Check the liquid level, if too dry add small amounts of water or chicken broth to keep liquid covering the chick and veg. Adjust salt if needed. Can be served over pasta or rice. Garnish with parsley.