Arroz Imperial
User Reviews
4.9
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Prep Time
15 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 50 mins
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Total Time
2 hrs 5 mins
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Servings
8 servings
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Cuban
Arroz Imperial
Description
Arroz Imperial begins with boiling chicken breast or thighs in water with onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to create a flavorful broth. After the chicken cooks through, it is removed and shredded, while the broth is reserved for cooking rice. In a pan, bacon or ham is fried until crisp and then combined with sautéed onion, bell pepper, oregano, bay leaves, and crushed garlic to build a savory base.
Tomato paste and the shredded chicken are added to the sautéed vegetables, along with seasonings including bijol seasoning or paprika, salt, and pepper. The rice is cooked using the reserved broth, ensuring rich flavor absorption. Green peas, pimento olives, Parmesan cheese, and mild white cheese contribute additional texture and creaminess.
The final dish is a comforting, hearty casserole with tender chicken, savory meats, aromatic herbs, and a creamy cheese texture that melds with the fluffy rice. The layering and slow simmering develop deep flavor complexity and a satisfying mouthfeel.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ kg chicken breast or thighs
- 2 l water
- 2 onion medium-size, finely chopped
- 2 carrot medium sized, cut into chunks
- 2 celery cut into chunks, sticks
- 6 garlic peeled, cloves
- 6 lices Bacon cut into slivers, or ham
- 4 cups rice
- 3 oz tomato paste
- 1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese grated
- 2 cups white cheese mild
- 1 bell pepper finely chopped, large
- 1/4 cup pimento olives sliced
- 1/2 cup green peas frozen
- 7 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves
- olive oil for cooking
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 2 bay leaf
- 1 lime juiced, medium
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 2 teaspoons bijol seasoning or same amount of paprika powder
Instructions
- Start preparing the chicken first. Wash the chicken meat thoroughly and place it in a deep pot. Add about 2 liters/ 8 ½ cups of water to cover the meat and set it over a high flame.
- Add in your carrot and celery chunks, 1 onion and 2 whole garlic cloves and bring to a boil. Then turn the heat down and simmer until the meat has cooked through.
- Transfer the chicken to a separate dish to cool and take out and discard the vegetables. Keep the broth for when we cook the rice a little later. Shred the chicken using a fork.
- Heat a little olive oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon or ham until done to you liking. If you have too much grease left over after this you can drain most of it away.
- Now add in the chopped onion, bell pepper, oregano and bay leaves and sauté until the onion is soft and translucent. Crush the remainder of the garlic and stir it in for another minute or so to release its flavor.
- Next, add the tomato sauce and shredded chicken along with a splash of water and heat up until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.
- 10 minutes into the sauce cooking add in the frozen peas, lime juice and sliced olives and season to taste.
- When the chicken sauce is done, set it aside.
- Now it's time to make the delicious fluffy rice. Put the rice in a pot and pour in the chicken broth (the proportion of broth to rice is 2:1, so make sure you have about double the amount of broth to rice).
- Add 2 healthy teaspoons of Bijol seasoning, place a lid over the pan and simmer for about 20 minutes until the rice has cooked and absorbed most of the liquid .
- Gradually add the mayonnaise and incorporate it into the rice until evenly mixed.
- Preheat your oven to 325° F/ 162° C and begin assembling the Arroz Imperial!
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper (one you usually use for making lasagne should be great) and spoon in 1/3 of the rice in even layer. Add a layer of chicken (half the total amount of chicken mix) , followed by another layer of rice.
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup (50g) parmesan cheese on top, then continue with the remaining chicken and the last third of the rice over it. Cover with the remainder of the parmesan and finish off with 2 cups (230g) of grated mild cheese, distributing it evenly over the surface.
- Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until the cheese has melted and bubbles and the edges have browned.
- Enjoy your amazing Arroz Imperial and make sure to invite your family and friends too. There's plenty to go around!
Notes
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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