Chicken With Arroz Verde
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Carolina® Jasmine White Rice
- 6 bone-in, skin-on whole chicken legs, cut into drumstick and thigh portions
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil (approx.), divided
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 poblano pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups salsa
- 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped and divided
Instructions
Step 1
Season chicken with salt.
Step 2
In large Dutch oven or saucepan set over medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil. In batches to avoid crowding, add chicken; cook, turning, for 5 to 7 minutes or until starting to brown all over, adding more oil as needed. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate as chicken is browned.
Step 3
Add onion, poblano and garlic to oil in Dutch oven set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes or until starting to soften. Stir in rice. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes or until well coated.
Step 4
Stir in salsa and broth; bring to a boil. Return chicken to Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring frequently, for 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Step 5
Before serving, fluff rice mixture with fork and garnish with cilantro.
Recipe Tips: Garnish with avocado slices and crumbled cotija cheese, and drizzle with sour cream, if desired.
Use green salsa for an extra pop of color.
Contents
Mincing your Garlic
There is absolutely no issue if you want to mince your garlic but do not have a mincer. All you have to do is set the entire bulb, root side down, on a cutting board if you only need a few cloves. Using the heel of your hand, apply pressure to the top of the bulb to free the cloves.
The cloves should next be cracked apart and separated from the root using your fingers. Pick up as many of the individual cloves you require for the recipe.
Trim each garlic clove’s root and tip with a knife. With the blade pointed away from you, lay the flat side of a chef’s knife over a clove.
Crush the clove between the cutting board using minimal pressure. It should be simple to separate the papery skin from the clove.
To assist securing the knife, place your free hand on the top of the blade, close to the tip, with fingertips contacting the edge (the tip should stay in the same place as you mince). Once the proper size has been chopped or minced, rock the knife up and down, left to right, back and forth in a fanning motion.
When Should Garlic be Minced?
Fresh garlic is best minced right before using it in a recipe. More enzymes are released and more allicin is produced the longer garlic is left to deteriorate. More flavor comes with more time, but if left to sit for too long, it can also become overwhelming.
Storing Garlic
If not using right away, store covered in an airtight jar in the fridge until needed. The best time to utilize the garlic is immediately after chopping it, or within an hour. If the garlic is allowed to sit for more than six hours, it can become very bitter and dominate the dish.
Are Minced and Chopped Garlic the Same Thing?
No they are not. Compared to minced garlic, chopped garlic is rougher, 1/8 inch or larger, and has a greater bite. Chopped is an excellent way to flavor stews, soups, or just the oil in food. Garlic that has been finely minced is smaller, like tiny couscous grains. For dishes that are quickly sautéed and heated, such as stir-fries, when you don’t want huge chunks to remain, minced is preferable over whole ingredients.
If you enjoy chicken recipes try our Chicken Classic Biryani.
Cleaning Cilantro
Cleaning fresh cilantro as soon as you get home from the grocery shop is recommended since it is frequently very sandy. Wash again after changing the water a couple of times until there is no more grit. Spin the cilantro in a salad spinner as soon as it has been thoroughly cleaned. As an alternative, strain it through a sizable sieve and shake off the water.
Recipe Video
Cooking Tips
For more great tasting recipe ideas along with cooking tips such as, how to get the perfect water to rice ratio.
