Read Bobby Flay's Throwdown! Online
Authors: Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay's Throwdown! (22 page)
He did a great job, and it’s good to know that I can come to La Fonda Boricua for Jorge’s fabulous arroz con pollo any time the craving strikes. I can even get in a little salsa dancing, too.
Adobo-Seasoned Chicken and Rice
SERVES 4
Adobo Seasoning
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons granulated onion
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Chicken And Rice
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, cut in half
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
2 medium red bell peppers, finely diced
1 serrano chile, finely diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups long-grain rice
5½ cups homemade
chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 cup frozen peas (not thawed)
1 cup pitted picholine olives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
Grated zest and juice of 1 fresh lime
1.
To make the adobo seasoning,
mix together the salt, granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin, paprika, black pepper, turmeric, and oregano in a small bowl.
2.
To cook the chicken,
preheat the oven to 375°F.
3.
Season both sides of the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and then with the adobo seasoning mixture.
4.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Place the chicken in the oil, skin side down, in batches if necessary, and sauté until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and cook until the second side is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet, place it in the oven, and roast until tender and just cooked through, about 12 minutes.
5.
Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the Dutch oven, and place it back over high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and serrano chile, and cook until soft, 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and garlic and cook for 1 minute.
6.
Add the rice to the pan, stir to coat it in the mixture, and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Cook for 5 minutes, uncovered. Then stir well, cover, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. During the last few minutes of cooking, quickly stir in the peas, cover, and continue cooking.
7.
Remove the pan from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Then remove the lid, fluff the rice, and gently fold in the olives, cilantro, oregano, lime zest, and juice. Add the chicken and stir to combine.
Arroz con Pollo
SERVES 4
4 cups long-grain white rice
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 2 limes
4 bone-in, skinless chicken drumsticks (about 1 pound)
4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
¼ cup olive oil
1½ teaspoons annatto seeds
1 small white onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh recao leaves
¼ cup diced dried Spanish chorizo (about 2 ounces)
¼ cup tomato paste
¼ cup pimento-stuffed Spanish olives
3 bay leaves
5 cups homemade
chicken stock
1 (12-ounce) bottle light beer
1.
Swish the rice in a bowl of cold water and drain; repeat until the water is clear. Set aside.
2.
Combine the granulated garlic, granulated onion, cumin, oregano, 1½ tablespoons salt, and 1½ teaspoons black pepper in a small bowl. Rub about 3 tablespoons of this adobo mixture and the lime juice into the chicken pieces. Reserve the remaining adobo mixture.
3.
Heat the olive oil in a large, wide Dutch oven over low heat, and add the annatto seeds. Cook, stirring frequently, until the oil has turned orange, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the seeds or the oil will be bitter. Strain, discarding the seeds.
4.
Return the oil to the pot. Raise the heat to medium and cook the chicken, in batches if necessary, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Remove to a platter.
5.
Add the onion, garlic, green and red bell peppers, cilantro, and recao to the pot and cook for another 5 minutes; season generously with salt to taste. Stir in the chorizo, tomato paste, olives, bay leaves, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and 3 tablespoons adobo mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes. Then return the chicken and any juices on the platter to the pot. Continue cooking, turning to coat the chicken in the sofrito-chorizo mixture, for 2 to 3 minutes.
6.
Stir in the rice. Then stir in the chicken stock and beer, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Boil, uncovered, until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, give the ingredients a stir, cover, and cook until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.
Names: Connie and Bill Fisher
Establishment: The Pop Shop
Hometown: Collingswood, New Jersey
Website:
www.thepopshopusa.com
Phone: (856) 869-0111
“Suddenly the crowd goes nuts and gets really loud. I look at Connie and give her a look like ‘What’s going on?’ And then I see him: Bobby Flay, standing inside our restaurant with a giant grin plastered on his face. At that point I think both Connie and I touched Heaven.”
—BILL FISHER
