Arroz con Pollo (Chicken with Rice)

This recipe goes back to Venezuela, where my mom was born and lived until she was 12. I remember my grandmother making it when she lived with us when I was a child. It is pretty simple to make (and only uses one pot!), very delicious, and can be frugal and quite healthy as well. Mom made some when I visited last month, and I decided to take pictures and share the recipe with y'all.

To make Arroz con Pollo, you'll need:

-1 whole chicken, cut up, or 2 or 3 pounds of legs and thighs

-1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice (you can use white if you want), along with 3 cups of water or chicken broth (adds extra flavor and nutrition)

-1 can of small, pitted black olives, drained

-1 small jar of pimiento peppers, drained

-1 jar of capers, with a little bit of the juice reserved

Begin by browning the chicken pieces in a mixture of olive oil and butter (a cast iron dutch oven works best, but if you don't have one, another heavy pan will do). Cook until the chicken is golden and crispy, and then remove from the pan. 

Reserving some of the drippings, add in the brown rice and water or broth, as well as a little Tumeric to make it yellow, if desired. Bring to a boil and cook covered for 20-30 minutes. After that time, add the chicken to the pot and let it finish cooking with the rice, about another 15-20 minutes. If you are using white rice, put the chicken in the pan as soon as you start boiling the rice. 

Once the rice and chicken are cooked, stir in the drained can of olives, the drained jar of pimientos, and the partially drained jar of capers.

Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday and Tasty Tuesday.