My wife and I are building a house in the mountains outside of Boquete, Panama, near the Costa Rican border. One might think that most native Central American recipes would be spicy or well-seasoned. Not so, the dishes that comprise national cuisine in the region are generally plain, but tasty. In the local grocery stores, enormous bags of rice and beans are popular items!
One can find Arroz con Pollo (Rice and Chicken) served almost everywhere in the cafes frequented by the locals. The key to its goodness is the availability of the freshest ingredients imaginable, which are grown all around. Here is a version of one of the favorite national dishes of the Republic of Panama.
Arroz con Pollo
Author: OldGuy
Recipe type: Entree
Cuisine: Latin American
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Ingredients
- 1 Chicken, Cut Up into Pieces, Remove Skin from All Pieces but the Wings
- 3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed and Minced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, Seeded, Deveined and Coarsely Chopped
- 2 Onions, Coarsely Chopped
- 1 Tomato, Sliced and Chopped
- 1½ cups of White Rice
- 2¼ Cups of Water
- Pinch of saffron
- 3 Tablespoons Butter
- ½ Teaspoon Salt and ¼ Teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
- Saute chopped onions, green pepper and garlic in butter in a pot with a top. Add water, saffron, tomatoes and their juice, chicken and washed rice (wash in a strainer and allow to drain). Add salt and pepper.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook at a slow simmer until done, stirring once or twice during cooking. Will take approximately 45 minutes — make sure chicken and rice are done.
- Correct for salt and pepper and serve with crusty bread. Panamanians would serve hot French bread.
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