It is winter in Wisconsin and when it's freezing cold outside, we all crave some comfort food.  I am an adopted Wisconsinite, living here for the past 14 years and now call it home. I come from a place where there is no winter and no snow, the coldest day may hit a 68 degrees F by night after the sun has gone down. Therefore comfort food for me is something that brings me back there, even if it’s just by smell or taste. Something that when I take the first bite, I can close my eyes and sense "I am there," no matter how cold or white it is outside. Something that makes me feel the warmth of the land that I left behind. My dear Venezuela!

That is exactly what Arroz con Pollo is for me. A comfort food that brings me back home, back to childhood, watching my mom over the stove making us dinner every night. This is one pot meal that not only tastes great but will also make for easy clean up. Arroz con Pollo is a popular dish in all Latin countries and everyone has their own variation. Today I’m sharing my family recipe and all its secrets so that you can bring the warmth of this dish to your home on a cold day.

One of the secret ingredients to an authentic Arroz con Pollo is Annatto. I still remember the annatto tree we had on our own backyard when I was a kid. It has a prickly flower that holds the seeds inside. Those seeds are used to give food that yellowish orange color that you see a lot in Latin dishes. The way we use it in Venezuela is adding the seeds to hot oil and let them bleed all the color into the oil. Then we strain it and use that oil as a base for our dish. I usually tint two cups of canola oil at a time and keep it in a glass jar in the fridge for everyday use. Annatto is also known as Achiote. You can find it at stores in its powder version. Either form would work; I used powder for this recipe to make it easier for you to follow. Annatto has a very mild peppery flavor but the most prominent use in Latin cuisine is for its natural food coloring ability.

Now that you know how I give my Arroz con Pollo that great look, the other secret is to use bone-in chicken thighs and legs. For this recipe I cut up a whole chicken and use everything but the breast. Some prefer to use the breast cut up in bite sizes, it's all about preference. I season the chicken before cooking just like my mom does, using salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. I use my favorite everyday rice, Parboiled rice, I have a post called "Rice it up" on my blog where you can read about the different types of rice I use in my everyday cooking. One of the best parts of this dish is that the next day, the leftover rice can be a whole meal on its own just by serving it topped with a fried egg. Yum!!! I think at this point all the secrets are out so let's get cooking!

Servings: 4 (Cooking Time: 40 minutes)

Ingredients:

6 pieces bone-in chicken (I use 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground paprika

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground Annatto or Achiote

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 medium carrots, diced

2 cups parboiled rice

4 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cup frozen peas

Salt and pepper to taste

Cilantro or parsley leaves to garnish (optional)

In a large heavy bottom pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce. Cook the chicken, turning until well browned, about 8 minutes total. Remove from the pan.  Turn the heat to medium-low, add the onion and garlic and cook until soften, about 2 minutes. Add the paprika, cumin, Annatto and mix well, add the carrots and peppers and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the rice and let it toast with the vegetables and spices for a couple of minutes.

Pour the chicken broth in the pan and stir everything well, add a pinch of salt. Place the chicken back in the pan, with the help of tongs nest the chicken in the rice in a single layer. Add the frozen peas. Let it simmer on medium-low until all the liquid is almost evaporated, 18 to 20 minutes. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and continue cooking until the bottom of the pan is completely dry, the chicken is cooked through and the rice has plumped up and is ready.  Garnish with cilantro or parsley and serve. Enjoy!

Especially on these cold February days, let Arroz con Pollo warm up your heart and hearth.

To read more recipes visit my website www.fivesensespalate.com