Asopao De Pollo

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr 45 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 1/4 cups cilantro, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup green bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon achiote paste (annatto paste)
• 3 lbs chicken, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 lb russet potato
• 2 cups water
• 1 (12 ounce) bottle beer (not dark)
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• hot sauce

Recipe

• 1 purée first 9 ingredients in a food processor until smooth to make the sofrito.
• 2 toss chicken with sofrito in a bowl, then marinate, covered and chilled for at least 1 hour.
• 3 remove chicken from sofrito, shaking off excess. reserve sofrito.
• 4 heat oil in a heavy 4-6 quart pot over moderate heat until hot but not smoking.
• 5 brown chicken in batches without crowding, starting with skin sides down and turning once until golden, about 5 minutes per batch. transfer to a plate.
• 6 peel potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• 7 pour off all but 2 tbsp fat from pot. add reserved sofrito to pot and cook over moderate heat, scraping up browned bits, about 2 minutes.
• 8 add water, beer, potatoes, and rice. simmer, covered 5 minutes.
• 9 add chicken along with any accumulated juices and simmer, covered until chicken is cooked through and rice is tender, 20-25 minutes.
• 10 remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• 11 stir in cilantro.
• 12 season with salt and hot sauce to taste.