Arroz con Pollo - Recipe #48

One of my go-to menu options at Azteca (though I haven't been in ages) is arroz con pollo. I always end up with leftovers for lunch the next day, since portion sizes are ginormous. This particular recipe was on the back of the Cooking Light page containing Chicken Biryani and I'm not entirely certain which recipe I clipped the page for. It is also entirely plausible that I wanted both of them. And in fact, there is one last recipe that I'll make in the near future from the same article.

My new job sometimes gets me home a little earlier from work, so I had enough time to make this as a weeknight supper, though it is a little lengthier than I usually attempt outside of the weekend. While I preferred the biryani, this was also delectable (and gave me plenty of leftovers). Though it calls for skinned chicken, I chose to skin it post cooking for better browning.

Arroz con Pollo

• 6 chicken drumsticks (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
• 6 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lbs.), skinned
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 t. dried oregano, divided
• 1 T. vegetable oil
• 2 T. fresh lime juice
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 t. ground turmeric
• 3/4 t. ground cumin
• 3/4 t. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 c. uncooked Arborio rice
• 1/2 c. diced ham
• 2 1/4 c. chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/2 c. frozen green peas, thawed
• 1/2 c. chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives

Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and 1 t. oregano. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 8 minutes, browning on all sides (I cooked it a little longer as I've had some issues with undercooked chicken). Remove chicken from pan; drizzle with lime juice. Cover; keep warm.

Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in 1/2 t. oregano, turmeric, and cumin, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in rice and ham; cook 1 minute. Increase heat to medium. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Add chicken, nestling into the rice mixture. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 18 minutes or until liquid is almost absorbed. Stir in peas; cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Sprinkle with olives