ARROZ CON POLLO

Trim any excess fat off the chicken thighs.  Make a spice rub by combining the salt, paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and black pepper in a small bowl.  Liberally rub the spice mix all over the chicken thighs on both sides.

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.  Place the seasoned thighs, skin-side-down in the skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes until they are golden brown and the skin is very crispy.  Flip and cook for 2 minutes on the other side.  Remove to a plate and reserve the pan drippings.  Note – chicken will not be cooked through, it will continue cooking in the rice.

Add the onions, peppers, and garlic to the pan and cook until soft and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. If the pan is very dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil.

Add the rice to the pan (along with the seasoning in the package) and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 more minutes until the rice is lightly toasted.  Note – if you do not have access to yellow rice with saffron, you can use white rice and add a few threads of saffron to the pan.

Add the tomatoes and chicken stock to the pan and stir to combine.   Bring to a boil and place the chicken thighs back in the pan in a single layer, skin-side-up.  Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan.  Cook for 20 minutes.  Open the pan and stir the peas into the rice around the chicken thighs.  Cover and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes until all of the liquid is absorbed and the rice cooked through.  If the rice is not completely cooked through when the liquid is absorbed, add another ¼ cup of stock or water and let cook, covered, a little longer until the rice reaches the desired consistency.

Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot.