(Chicken and Rice)
Wash the rice, drain and set
aside. In a large olla (dutch oven pot with heavy lid) brown the chicken
parts with the oil, 5 minutes each side. Remove from the pot onto a
bowl. Leave the chicken drippings inside the olla and add all the other
ingredients except for the rice, water and chicken. Mix well in medium
heat and cook the sofrito (recipe below) for 5 minutes, taste to see if
there is enough salt. Add the chicken and rice to the pot and mix well.
Add the boiling water until the water is about l inch above the rice,
mix well again.
Don’t cover the pot until the
water is absorbed. Once the water is absorbed use a wooden spoon and
gently stir from bottom to top. Cover and lower the heat to low for 20
to 25 minutes or until the rice is tender. You can garnish the rice with
pimiento strips. Serve with a green salad, tostones (recipe on geocities
website, or amarillos. A nice white wine will do very well.
SOFRITO
As a flavoring and a base for cooking many dishes. It can be stored
in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer indefinitely.
- 8 leafy stems of cilantro
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- l clove crushed garlic
- l onion, chopped
- 6 whole leaves recao (if you can’t
find it try parsley)
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Combine all the ingredients in a
blender and puree until smooth, add l Tablespoon of oil while pureeing.
You can add 2 chopped tomatoes to the mix if you like, but not necessary
and only do this before cooking.
ACEITE CON ACHIOTE
(Annatto Oil)
Annatto oil is used to give
foods color, very much like safron, but annatto has a very distinct mild
favor. It is used in many recipes in the online cook book. You will find
that annatto seeds are less expensive than safron.
- 1 cup of corn or vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons of annato seeds
Bring the oil to a boil in a
pot, an achiotera is ideal (very small aluminum pot), but if you don’t
have an achiotera the pot will do fine. When the oil is hot enough turn
of the heat add the seeds to the boiling oil and stir for 30 seconds.
Strain through a metal mesh strainer. Let cool and place in a small jar
with lid and refrigerate until ready to use. Note: Leaving the seeds in
the oil will make the oil bitter.
Makes l cup
FREDDIE’S RECAITO RECIPE:
Basic Recipe:
- ½ small green pepper
- ½ medium yellow onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ¼ tsp. Of black pepper
Better Recipe (Same ingredients as in the
basic recipe plus):
- 2 sprigs of fresh cilantro
The Best Recipe
(