Imperial Rice, Chicken layered with rice and saladresin Options

[Clockman]

When I lived in Miami my Cuban friends often fixed me Imperial Rice and I would like to have the recepe. What I do not remember about the recipe is how the chicken was fixed. I remember that the chicken was cooked in water untiil it fell off the bone. Then it was cooked in some kind of sauce and then layered with rice that was cooked in the chicken broth. It seems it began with chicken then rice then salad dressing until the dish was full then topped with peas and piminto pepper and some times with cheese on top and put in the oven until the cheese was melted.

Can any one help please.

[foodiesleuth]

Hola Clockman;

This is the recipe I have used several times. I haven't heard of salad dressing being used..... the traditional way is with mayonnaise mixed into the rice, not as a layer.

I also like to decorate the top with asparagus and the whole pimentos.

Sonia
PS........Clockman.....are you Roger in NC? This is Sonia in Hawaii ;-))))

Imperial Rice (Arroz Imperial)

3 pounds chicken thighs, skin on
4 strips bacon, cut into slivers
Olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 green onions, trimmed and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
6 large garlic cloves, minced
3 ounces tomato sauce
1 Tablespoon dry sherry (optional) (*)
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1 can chopped pimentos (**)
Juice of one medium lime
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups long grain rice - (***)
8 cups chicken broth (from the cooked chicken above)
2 teaspoons Bijol seasoning or mild paprika
7 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not the green canned stuff)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack or other mild white cheese

Wash chicken and place in large saucepan or stock pot. Add approximately two quarts of water to fully cover meat. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered until the meat is tender and falls from bone, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove chicken and reserve the broth. (You will use some of the broth to make the rice.) Skim excess fat from broth. When cool enough, skin, debone and break the meat into small pieces by hand.

In a large frying pan, sauté the bacon briefly. Drain most, but not all of the excess fat. Add a tiny bit of olive oil and heat. Add onion, green pepper, green onions and oregano. Sauté until the onions are translucent.

Add the garlic and sauté for one additional minute, stirring occasionally.
Add tomato sauce, chicken and sherry. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) approximately 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Add peas, pimentos and lime juice during the last five minutes of cooking. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a large covered pan, mix the rice with the chicken broth and or paprika. Bring to a boil, cover and cook over low heat until the rice is thoroughly cooked and most of the broth absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Add the mayonnaise to the cooked rice, a little at a time, and mix thoroughly.

Preheat oven to 325o F (160o C).

Spread one third of the rice mixture onto the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking pan. Layer chicken mixture on top of the rice. Then add another layer of rice mixture. Generously sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top of this layer. Add the remaining rice. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese on the top layer, then spread the shredded Monterey Jack completely over top.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and the cheese melts completely and bubbles.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

(*) Use regular drinking wine, not the so-called cooking wines - they are loaded with salt and too many preservatives. All of my cooking teachers always said "if you can't drink it straight from the bottle you shouldn't use it for cooking"

(**) I also use several whole pimentos on top with asparagus as garnish - slice each pimentos in 3-4 thick pieces and place in between the asparagus spears.

(***) I like to use long grain Mahatma - just personal preference.

There is a restaurant in Hialeah, FL that makes excellent Arroz Imperial - if they are still there, it is called the Lila.