Chicken Asopao

Photo: flickr user RBerteig

Ingredients

pound Frying chicken

2 teaspoons Dried oregano

teaspoon Freshly-ground black pepper

2 teaspoons Paprika

teaspoon Salt

4 tablespoons Olive oil

3 Garlic cloves peeled and crushed

1 ounce Salt pork coarsely chopped

2 ounces Ham coarsely chopped

(real ham, not the boiled deli stuff)

1 medium Yellow onion peeled and chopped

1 medium Green bell pepper cored, seeded,

and chopped

1 medium Tomato chopped

pound Spanish or Mexican chorizo sausage cut into

cup Pimiento stuffed olives - (small ones)

1 tablespoon Capers

1 tablespoon Annatto Oil see * Note

2 cups Uncle Ben's converted rice

3 cups Water

cup Frozen peas

Salt to taste

Freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Cut the fryer chicken into 8 serving pieces, the breast cut in half. Put the cut-up chicken in a large bowl. Add the oregano, pepper, paprika, salt and 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss to coat the chicken evenly.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan and brown the chicken over medium-high heat.

Heat a large stove-top casserole. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the garlic, salt pork and ham a few minutes. Add the onion and pepper and saute for 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the tomato, cover and simmer for 10 minutes until the tomato collapses.

Add the browned chicken and chorizo and simmer over low heat for another 10 minutes. Add the stuffed olives, capers, Annatto Oil, rice and water, then cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the frozen peas, cover and simmer for 5 minutes more. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve right away. This dish should be a little soupy and the rice tender.

This recipe serves 4 as a main course.

Comments: This is not quite a stew, and more moist than a paella. It is thicker than a soup and unusually delicious.