medtran49
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I love chicken and yellow rice. Craig really likes it but not as much as I do. I prefer the semi-homemade version just for the taste alone. Craig prefers the made from scratch version. So, whoever cooks makes the version they like.
Semi-homemade chicken and yellow rice
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
1 family sized package Vigo yellow rice mix (see picture below)
4 to 6 chicken thighs
1/2 to 3/4 cup onion, diced 1/4 to 1/2 inch
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra for chicken, optional
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
Small jar of chopped or sliced pimentos, drained, rinsed and drained again
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen baby green peas, thawed
4 cups 50/50 chicken broth/water mix, plus extra if needed
DIRECTIONS
Remove skin and excess fat on chicken thighs. Pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and ground cumin if using.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add butter and oil. Add chicken and fry until golden brown on both sides. Chicken does not need to cook through. Remove and place on a plate or bowl. Set aside.
Add onion to skillet, reduce heat to medium and sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp ground cumin, depending on how much you like cumin, during the time the garlic is cooking.
Add the rice package, stir to coat the rice with fat and toast the spices a bit. Add the 4 cups of liquid. Stir until well mixed. Nestle thighs into the rice and pour in any juices that have collected. Allow to come to a low simmer over low to medium low heat. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. Uncover, turn chicken over, gently stir rice around the chicken. If the pan is dry, add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, gently stir rice and take a small bite to see if rice is done. If rice is still crunchy, add another 1/2 cup of liquid, cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Once rice is done, scatter pimento pieces and green peas over rice. Cover, turn heat off and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes. Serve.
Chicken and yellow rice from scratch
Courtesy of Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Mary Urrutia Randelman, with a few tweaks by us.
Serves 4 to 8
INGREDIENTS
One 3-pound chicken cut into 8 pieces or 8 chicken thighs
2 tsp salt, divided
Black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil, divided
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 medium sized green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped pimentos, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups unsalted chicken stock, plus additional if needed
1-1/2 cups Valencia rice (short grain), soaked in cold water with several threads of saffron for an hour, drained
4-5 saffron threads, crushed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
DIRECTIONS
Remove skin and excess fat from chicken. Pat dry. Season with 1 tsp salt and pepper and lime juice.
In a large heavy dutch oven type pan, heat 1/4 olive oil over medium heat, and fry chicken on each side until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.
Add remaining 1/4 cup oil and add onion and green bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is clear. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, pimentos, cumin and bay leaf. Cooking, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, any collected juices and wine, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and remaining 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Add the drained rice and additional saffron. Increase heat to medium high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so liquid is at a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding additional stock if pan dries out. Turn chicken over about half way through. At about 20 minutes, taste to check rice doneness and for seasoning. Add additional time/stock and/or seasoning if needed. Once rice is done, scatter peas over rice, re-cover pan, turn off heat and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes. Serve.
Semi-homemade chicken and yellow rice
Serves 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS
1 family sized package Vigo yellow rice mix (see picture below)
4 to 6 chicken thighs
1/2 to 3/4 cup onion, diced 1/4 to 1/2 inch
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 to 1 tsp ground cumin, plus extra for chicken, optional
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil
Small jar of chopped or sliced pimentos, drained, rinsed and drained again
1/2 to 3/4 cup frozen baby green peas, thawed
4 cups 50/50 chicken broth/water mix, plus extra if needed
DIRECTIONS
Remove skin and excess fat on chicken thighs. Pat dry. Season with salt, pepper and ground cumin if using.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add butter and oil. Add chicken and fry until golden brown on both sides. Chicken does not need to cook through. Remove and place on a plate or bowl. Set aside.
Add onion to skillet, reduce heat to medium and sauté onion until tender. Add garlic and cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp ground cumin, depending on how much you like cumin, during the time the garlic is cooking.
Add the rice package, stir to coat the rice with fat and toast the spices a bit. Add the 4 cups of liquid. Stir until well mixed. Nestle thighs into the rice and pour in any juices that have collected. Allow to come to a low simmer over low to medium low heat. Cover and cook for 12 minutes. Uncover, turn chicken over, gently stir rice around the chicken. If the pan is dry, add an extra 1/2 cup of liquid. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover, gently stir rice and take a small bite to see if rice is done. If rice is still crunchy, add another 1/2 cup of liquid, cover and cook for 5 minutes more. Once rice is done, scatter pimento pieces and green peas over rice. Cover, turn heat off and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes. Serve.
Chicken and yellow rice from scratch
Courtesy of Memories of a Cuban Kitchen by Mary Urrutia Randelman, with a few tweaks by us.
Serves 4 to 8
INGREDIENTS
One 3-pound chicken cut into 8 pieces or 8 chicken thighs
2 tsp salt, divided
Black pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup Spanish olive oil, divided
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1 medium sized green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped pimentos, rinsed and drained
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup dry white wine
5 cups unsalted chicken stock, plus additional if needed
1-1/2 cups Valencia rice (short grain), soaked in cold water with several threads of saffron for an hour, drained
4-5 saffron threads, crushed
1 cup frozen green peas, thawed
DIRECTIONS
Remove skin and excess fat from chicken. Pat dry. Season with 1 tsp salt and pepper and lime juice.
In a large heavy dutch oven type pan, heat 1/4 olive oil over medium heat, and fry chicken on each side until golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.
Add remaining 1/4 cup oil and add onion and green bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is clear. Add garlic and cook for a minute more. Add the tomatoes, pimentos, cumin and bay leaf. Cooking, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Add the chicken, any collected juices and wine, and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the stock and remaining 1 tsp salt, and bring to a boil. Add the drained rice and additional saffron. Increase heat to medium high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat so liquid is at a low simmer. Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding additional stock if pan dries out. Turn chicken over about half way through. At about 20 minutes, taste to check rice doneness and for seasoning. Add additional time/stock and/or seasoning if needed. Once rice is done, scatter peas over rice, re-cover pan, turn off heat and allow to stand for 5-7 minutes. Serve.
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