**Peruvian Arroz con Pollo: Chicken and Rice** one of the favorite staples of Peruvian cuisine, whether it’s prepared with duck - which is traditional in northern Peru – or with chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup cilantro leaves

• 4 spinach leaves

• 4 skinless chicken drumsticks and thighs

• Salt and pepper

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 cup finely chopped onion

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic

• 1/2 cup yellow pepper paste, (ají amarillo)

• 1 cup beer

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 2 cups long-grain rice

• 1/4 cup sweet peas (petit pois)

• 1/4 cup diced carrots

• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips

• 1 cup white corn

• Salsa Criolla (ingredients listed below)*

Instructions

1. Blend, in blender cilantro with spinach and water to make homogeneous paste.
   Set aside.

2. Dry chicken with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Place oil in a pot
   over medium heat and fry the chicken until chicken is golden brown on both sides,
   about 7 minutes. Remove from pot and place in plate.

3. In same pot, fry onion, garlic and yellow pepper paste, and stir for 5 minutes.
   Put in the blended cilantro and spinach, and fry for 3 minutes. Add beer, chicken
   broth and chicken to pot.

4. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat. Cook for 20 minutes. If necessary,
   season with more salt and pepper.

5. In another pot, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Add rice and stir well. Add petit pois
   (sweet peas), carrots, pepper, corn and 3 1/2 cups of the broth you used to cook
   the chicken. Bring to a boil, cover, lower the heat to the lowest possible setting
   and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir with a fork and cover again.

6. When rice is ready, serve in four plates; place a chicken drumstick over it and
   salsa criolla on the side. If desired, you may also add some of the juice in which
   the chicken was cooked.

7. To make the salsa criolla: Cut 1/2 red onion lengthwise into very thin slices,
   wash thoroughly and drain. Blend with 1/2 tomato (cut into very thin strips),
   cilantro leaves, salt, pepper, lemon juice from one lemon and one tablespoon of
   olive oil. If you wish, you may add pepper strips.

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This Recipe Is Published Here

bon appetit