Chef René

It’s Wednesday!  Let’s cook something really good today.  Welcome to the kitchen of Chef René.

I bought a ten pack of chicken thighs for $4.00 at Smart and Final earlier in the week.  Such a good deal since chicken is so versatile. The thighs are juicy and meaty, and when properly stored the meat can be frozen for about six months.  Personally, I do not freeze meat this long.  I wash it, pat it dry, and place it in zipper freezer storage bags, squeezing out the air as I zip the bag closed.  It is a process that is well worth the efforts.  I keep meat in the freezer for about two months, and rotate the kinds of meat I cook with so I do not get tired of chicken, which is so easy to do.  There were those times I swore feathers were growing out my…anyway.  You get it.

One way I like to cook chicken is by making a one pot meal of chicken and rice.  It’s something most cultures have in common.  We all know how to make chicken and rice taste good together!  My Mom would smother chicken and serve it on top of a fluffy bed of white rice (all hail Louisiana spices).  That made a satisfying and very tasty dinner, but sometimes I want to make chicken and rice slightly different. 

The dish I’m making is based off of arroz con pollo, a chicken and rice dish found in Puerto Rican cultures.  I gave it my own interpretation, as I do not use Latin seasonings like sofrito.  Sofrito is a mixture of green and red bell peppers, garlic, onions, and spices.  I walk to my local Latino market to buy Goya Food’s SazÓn, Adobo seasoning, cilantro, and lots of garlic.  I like chicken and rice in just about any cultural dish, but arroz con pollo is a standout because of the saltiness of olives, the rich flavors of sautéed garlic and onions, and the tender chicken that has a robust color from the sazÓn seasoning.  The seasoning comes in different varieties.  I use the “con cilantro y achiote” (orange box) and the “con azafran” (yellow box).  The rice has so much flavor, I eat it by itself sometimes.

Over time, I have adjusted the use of salty seasonings in the dish so it does not come out too salty for my taste.  Each seasoning has sodium in it, so I do not add white salt.  In the past, I experimented with low sodium chicken broth.   I found that the low sodium broth did not have much flavor at all, it was like adding water.  So I use Knorr chicken bouillon cubes, cut in half.  I sprinkle the adobo seasoning carefully, and use half a packet of sazÓn.  Other times, I say damn the sodium content, and use the full packet of seasoning.  I live. 

For this dish, you will need:

Ingredients!

Skillet with tight fitting lid

Chicken thighs

Olive oil

Butter

SazÓn (1 packet)

Adobo seasoning

Black pepper

White onion (1 medium)

Garlic cloves (3)

Bay leaves (2)

Spanish olives (pimento stuffed)

Cilantro

Chicken bouillon (one cube Knorr’s)

Water (1 cup)

Medium grain rice (1/2 cup)

Chopped onions

finely chopped garlic/knife skillz

To make this dish, lightly drizzle a teaspoon of olive oil and a half teaspoon of butter into a skillet.   Put the burner on medium heat.  I cook on a Frigidaire gas burner stove top.  The medium heat is at three.  Place chicken into the skillet, skin side up, do not crowd.  Turn the chicken over when it has browned on the bottom.  Add your chopped white onion, garlic, sliced olives, and cilantro to the pan with the chicken.  Lightly sauté.  Sprinkle the packet of sazÓn over the chicken and vegetable.  Add the rice to the vegetables, stir.  Allow the rice mixture to lightly brown for five to seven minutes.  Add your bay leaves.  Add chicken bouillon and water, just covering the rice.  Put a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to a simmer, which is a “lo” for me.

Frigidaire gas burner rangetop & Martha Stewart Cookware

This aromatic dish I let simmer for about an hour.  I cook it low and slow, watching through the glass lid making sure there is enough liquid present in the skillet to cook the rice and steam the chicken tender.  I adjust seasonings and water/rice ratio as needed.  Look at your food and if it looks like the rice is dry, add a small amount of water.  Adjust the heat, sometimes I go from lo to 2, depending on how fast or slow the food is cooking.  When you cook, notice how food looks and be confident to adjust ingredients to make it right for you.  Even when following a recipe, I have to make adjustments. 

After that hour is up, I add freshly ground black pepper.  By this time, the kitchen smells so freakin good.  The olive oil and garlic are so fragrant.  The richness of the smothered chicken makes you want to dive right in and eat, but you have to be patient and make sure it is ready!  The hour went by fast since Chef René had half a glass of wine.  It’s done when the chicken is firm, tender, and does not have pink meat near the bone (use a knife to pull the meat from the bone and take a look).  The rice should be tender, it has soaked up all the liquid.  Give the rice a fluff with a fork.  The flavor will be so savory, as the rice has taken on the garlic, onions, butter, and olive oil.  It’s an OMG moment the first time you taste it.  So freaking good!

Squeeze lime over the rice OMG!

Serve with lime wedges and a lettuce and tomato salad.  If you want, buy some Spanish crusty bread rolls to serve with the chicken.  Lots of carbs, but so worth it.  Live.  Also, drink something like aguas frescas, which is a fruit drink sort of like a lemonade or limeade.  Of course, beer and wine are good.  My wine of choice is a Moscato, but I think Moscato goes with everything, so…

Add-Ins: I add in green peas or bell peppers if the mood suits me.  Next, I want to try adding a Louisiana hot link.  Now that would transform the dish into a Chef René dish!