Over 355,000 Monthly Readers
IN FOCUS FOR PEOPLE Over 50
  • Home
  • Health
  • Money
  • Travel
  • Arts
  • Cover Stories
  • Housing
  • From the Publisher
  • Contact us
  • Silver Pages Dir.
  1. Home
  2. Health

Health

SEARCH Health

Peruvian rice and chicken dish shines

Photo by America's Test Kitchen
  • Share
PRINT
By Annie Petito
Posted on September 17, 2024

Peruvian arroz con pollo originated in the seaside city of Chiclayo as arroz con pato, where it featured native duck and chicha de jora, a fermented corn beer that dates to the Inca Empire.

Over time, Peruvians adapted to the lack of, or expense of, these ingredients by swapping in chicken and malty beer.

The one-pot meal of succulent chicken parts and savory, fluffy rice enhanced by a colorful mix of vegetables, aromatics and spices is a darling of Latin American kitchens at large.

What makes the Peruvian version distinct? Its green color.

The greenish cast comes from a substantial infusion of pureed cilantro that, along with the dark beer, spices and aderezo (the flavorsome base of sauteed red onion, garlic, and often ají amarillo, a hot yellow pepper paste), imbue the rice with incredible depth.

Peruvian Arroz con Pollo

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:

For the chicken and rice:
2 cups (2 ounces) fresh cilantro leaves and stems
1/2 cup water
6 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed
2¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
¾ teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 to 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste (optional)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ cups dark beer
2 cups chicken broth, plus extra as needed
1½ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips
2 carrots, peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces (1 cup)
½ cup frozen peas

For the Sarza Criolla (relish):
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced through root end
1/8 teaspoon table salt, plus salt for salting onion
1¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Directions:

For the sarza criolla: Toss onion and 1/2 teaspoon table salt in strainer or colander set over bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse onion under cold water and pat dry. Combine onion, cilantro, lime juice, pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl. (Sarza criolla can be made up to 1 hour ahead.)

For the chicken and rice: Process cilantro and water in blender until cilantro is finely chopped and very loose puree forms, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed; set aside.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle both sides with 1½ teaspoons salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until well browned, 8 to 12 minutes. Using tongs, flip chicken and brown on second side, about 2 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate.

Add chopped onion, amarillo paste (if using), garlic, cumin and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, stirring often, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add beer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until mixture is almost dry, 7 to 10 minutes.

Stir in cilantro puree and return chicken to pot, skin side up (chicken will be almost entirely above surface of liquid). Adjust heat to maintain simmer, cover and cook until chicken registers at least 195 degrees, 18 to 20 minutes.

Using tongs, transfer chicken to a clean plate and tent with aluminum foil. Transfer cooking liquid and solids to a 4-cup liquid measuring cup (you should have about 1½ cups). Add enough broth to measure 3½ cups. Return broth mixture to pot and stir in rice, bell pepper and carrots. Bring to boil, adjust heat to maintain simmer, cover and cook until rice is tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Off heat, stir in peas (browning at bottom of rice is OK). Arrange chicken on top of rice and pour any accumulated juices into pot. Cover and let stand until peas and chicken are warmed through, 5 to 10 minutes. Serve, passing sarza criolla separately.

For 25 years, home cooks have relied on America’s Test Kitchen for rigorously tested recipes developed by professional test cooks and vetted by 60,000 at-home recipe testers. The family of brands — which includes Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country — offers reliable recipes for cooks of all skill levels. See more online at www.americastestkitchen.com/TCA.

© 2024 America’s Test Kitchen. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Health 2025

  • January
  • February
  • March
  • April
  • May

#Savvy Senior #Recipes #Dear Pharmacist #Health Study #Nutrition #Dementia #advice #Mayo Clinic

2024
Health Archive

2025 Seniors' Resource Guide

CLICK HERE

to view the 2025 Montgomery County Seniors' Resource Guide.

Silver PagesDirectory

FIND WHAT YOU NEED, FAST.

This comprehensive, searchable directory covers
housing, homecare, elder law and financial planning

CommunityEvents

A CALENDAR JUST FOR YOU

Find fun, interesting, informative things to do.
Or post your upcoming event!

2025 Beacon 50+Expo

SAVE THE DATES!

Sept. 28th - Silver Spring Civic Building
& Oct. 5th - Springfield Town Center.

Silver PagesDirectory

FIND WHAT YOU NEED, FAST.

This comprehensive, searchable directory covers housing, homecare, elder law and financial planning

Submit PrintClassifieds

ALL PRINT CLASSIFIEDS ARE SUBMITTED ONLINE

Click here to submit your classifieds for one of our upcoming print editions.

CommunityEvents

A CALENDAR JUST FOR YOU

Find fun, interesting, informative things to do. Or post your upcoming event!

About the Beacon

Over 50 or love someone who is? Then consider the Beacon your resource for trustworthy information on health, money, technology and travel topics, as well as entertaining features, arts and events.

The Beacon’s award-winning content covers health, financial, technology, housing, travel and arts topics, as well as local events and feature stories. Readers of our three print editions pick up more than 179,000 copies each month at more than 2,000 distribution sites. We also mail copies to subscribers throughout the United States.

Contact Us

THE BEACON NEWSPAPERS

PO Box 2227  •  Silver Spring, MD 20915

WASHINGTON, DC

TEL: 301-949-9766  •  FAX: 301-949-8966

HOWARD COUNTY & BALTIMORE, MD

TEL: 410-248-9101  •  FAX: 301-949-8966

More on our Website

  • About
  • Advertise with us
  • Staff
  • Resource Guide
  • Awards
  • The 50+Expos
  • Recipes
  • Puzzles
  • Community Events
  • Privacy Policy
Contact us Classified Form Subscription Form