Lately I’ve been feeling like I’ve been rotating a lot of the same dinners, so I wanted to do something a little different last night. A passing phrase in my book mentioned something about Spanish rice with green olives, enticing me to make Aroz Con Pollo.
This flavorful dish comes together pretty quickly, and can be made with everything I already keep my pantry stocked with. The savory notes of saffron perfume the whole house, making this dish perfect for company, or a cozy night in. Utilizing brown rice and chicken breast also makes this dish a healthy way to start off your week! And for all my friends who are gluten free, this dish is right up your alley!
Ingredients
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2/3 cup brown rice
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1 tbs butter
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2 pinches of saffron
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2 chicken breasts
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1/2 tsp smoked paprika
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1/2 tsp dried oregano
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1 large shallot
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1 clove garlic
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2 tbs olive oil (plus more if needed)
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1/2 cup dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc
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3/4 cup whole pitted green olives
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2 tbs olive brine
Start by cooking rice. Melt 1 tbs butter with 1 pinch of saffron in a medium sized pot. Add in the dry rice and sauté for 1 minute to bring out the toasted flavor. Add in 1 1/3 cups of water and cover the pot. Bring to boil and reduce to simmer; simmering rice for 15 minutes. It will be a little al dente but that’s what you want.
Next season the chicken with the paprika and oregano, and a pinch of salt. Brown the chicken in the oil until it is brown and caramelized. It does not need to be cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and sauté the hopped shallot and garlic in the residual oil, adding more oil if needed. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until golden, then deglaze the pan with the wine, scrapping g the brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula.
Add in the second pinch of saffron, and bring to a simmer to reduce the wine for about 3 minutes. While the liquid is reducing, cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and add it back into the pan with any juices it collected. Add the rice into the same pan along with the olives/2tbs brine, and stir everything together, sautéing to finish cooking the chicken and let the flavors come together. Sauté for about 5 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and liquid has almost evaporated but the rice is not dry. Serve in a shallow bowl for easiest eating ability and enjoy!