Published September 1, 2006.
To develop an arroz con pollo recipe that would be ready in about an hour without sacrificing great taste, we chose either chicken thighs or breasts, not only for shopping convenience but to ensure that all of the pieces would cook at the same rate. We poached the chicken in a broth preseasoned with a sofrito, a classic Latin American mixture of chopped onions and green peppers. To finish our chicken and rice recipe, about half an hour before the chicken finished cooking, we added medium-grain rice (which we preferred over long-grain for its creamy texture), stirring it a few times to ensure even cooking.
To keep the dish from becoming greasy, it is important to remove excess fat from the chicken thighs and trim the skin so it just covers each thigh. This dish is best made using a Hispanic brand of medium-grain rice. Italian and Japanese brands have a tendency to make the dish too sticky. To use long-grain rice, increase the water to 3/4 cup and the salt added in step 3 to 1 teaspoon.
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