Arroz Con Pollo
Arroz con pollo (
rice with
chicken) is a traditional dish of Spain and Latin America, especially in Colombia, Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Panama, Peru and Puerto Rico. In the Dominican Republic it is called
locrio de pollo, and Saint Martin where it is called
lokri or
locreo.
There is some debate as to whether it originated in Spain. Puerto Ricans consider it one of their classic recipes. Many Puerto Ricans note that arroz con pollo can not be made without beer and
annatto oil and saffron is no substitute. Beer and annatto are rarely used in Spanish cooking and never in arroz con pollo there. Annatto is frequently used in Puerto Rican cooking exceptionally in rice dishes like arroz con gandules (rice with pork and pigeon peas) and arroz con maiz (rice with corn and sausage). Beer is in many Puerto Rican dish like pollo guisado (braised stewed chicken) and asopao de pollo (chicken rice stew). Arroz con pollo and most Puerto Rican rice dish are highly seasoned with sofrito, which is another key ingredient in arroz con pollo.
Food writer Elisabeth Lambert Ortiz, while pointing to the international aspects of the dish, notes that origin in the Spanish forms of pilaf, and already reflected international influences: chicken was brought from India and rice from Asia; saffron (used for the yellow colour in Spain, instead of annatto) was introduced by Phoenician traders; tomatoes and peppers (also known as sofrito) are natives of the Americas.
Recipe for Arroz con pollo see
Here and
Here.
