Arroz con Pollo Recipe

Serves: 4 to 6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS 

for the sofrito:
¼ cup|60 ml white cooking wine
1 tablespoon Dominican oregano
15 ahi peppers, stemmed and roughly chopped
10 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 medium red onion, peeled and roughly chopped
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the sazon:
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons ground Dominican oregano
1 ½ teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon achiote powder
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

for the arroz con pollo:
¼ cup|60 ml white vinegar
2 pounds|920 grams bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1 tablespoon store bought or homemade sazon, plus more to taste
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons infused chicken fat (optional) or 2 tablespoons neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons tomato paste  
6 tablespoons|85 grams sofrito 
2 cups|375 grams long grain rice 
4 cups|1 liter chicken stock
½ small red bell pepper, thinly sliced into strips
fresh cilantro leaves, for serving 

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the sofrito: Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and purée until smooth. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until ready to use. Sofrito will keep, refrigerated, for up to one month. 
2. Make the sazon: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
3. Make the arroz con pollo: In a large bowl, toss the chicken with the vinegar, then season all over with the sazon, salt, and pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. 
4. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add the chicken and cook, flipping once, until golden all over and the fat has rendered from the skin, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
5. Add the infused chicken fat, if using, or a neutral oil and the onion to the saucepan and cook until the onion is soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook 2 minutes, then stir in the sofrito and cook 1 minute more. Add the rice and stir to coat, then stir in the stock. Season with sazon and salt and nestle in the chicken, skin-side up. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer over medium-low. Cover and cook 25 minutes, then arrange the red bell pepper strips over the top and cover again. Cook 15 minutes more, then remove from the heat. Let the arroz con pollo sit, covered, for 5 minutes, then serve garnished with fresh cilantro leaves over the top. 

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