I had the pleasure of spending my early years in a beautiful Central American country known as Panama. I was there long enough to enjoy Panamanian food and still remember and long for it.
One of the things I love about being Latin American is my constant nostalgia for dishes of my childhood. carimanholas, empanadas, ropa vieja, etc. The list can go on for pages. I tend to place Panamanian cuisine under Latin Caribbean. Basically we have very similar dishes to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic. (This is just my opinion, nothing I say is cross checked with any references. I love a generalization.)
One of my favorite dishes growing up was Arroz con Pollo. In my opinion, my grandmother who did most of the cooking growing up, had the best Arroz con Pollo. My grandmother hasn’t passed away, but as life turns out, recipes get forgotten, people get too old to stand over a stove, and my mother and sister never paid much attention to her cooking to remember how she made it.
Luckily for me, I have a Dominican friend by name of Mariand. Mariand in my opinion makes the best Arroz con Pollo I have had since my childhood. We had the luxury of touring this country together for a year and a half. A few months ago, nostalgia hit, and I contacted her to get her recipe. Best move I ever made.
So, with her permission, here is her recipe.
1 1/2 lb.. of chicken breast cut into chunks and lightly seasoned with Adobo, salt, and pepper (if you can’t find adobo, poultry seasoning will suffice, I highly recommend adobo though)
Dice 2 tomatoes, 1 onion, and 1 bell pepper
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 10oz. bag of frozen peas
2 cups long grain rice
2 cups of water
1 1/2 cups of white wine
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp. saffron
1/2 tsp. paprika
Salt and Pepper
I like to prep everything I could possibly ever need before getting started. I personally think it makes everything significantly simpler in the long run. You save time, it makes cooking cleaner, and you don’t constantly trip over yourself, dogs, children, or whatever else you may have laying around in your kitchen,
In a large 4 quart pan heat 1/4 cup of olive oil until it shimmers (high heat). Place the chicken into the pan and brown on all sides. Do not worry about it cooking all the way through, it will fully cook later on.
Using a slotted spoon transfer the chicken onto a plate with paper towels in order to drain some of the grease now attached to the chicken,
Using a tablespoon of whatever renderings are left in the pot, sautee the onions, peppers, and garlic, until fragrant. About 3-5 minutes depending on your stove. Make sure the onions don’t brown. Add in the tomatoes, all of the spices and 2 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil.
At this point I suggest getting a glass of wine.
Once the pot is boiling add in the cooked chicken and cover and bring the flame down to medium low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Have another glass of wine.
After 30 minutes have passed, and your buzz has kicked in, add 2 cups of rice, the peas, and the wine. Mix the ingredients and cover once more until all the liquid evaporates into the rice.
Finish the rest of the wine.
My family always made the dish for parties. It’s hearty enough to be eaten alone, but in typical latin style it is served with more meat (either lechon, ropa vieja etc) a side salad, and of course plantains and yuca.
This brings me back to a simpler time. Mariand, if you read this, thank you for the smile you just brought to my face.
For my grandmother.
