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Arroz con Pollo with Chicken Inasal on Rice

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AsianInAmericaArrozConPollo2“Don’t forget to have a ‘belen’ displayed every Christmas,”  my dad said to me when I was getting ready to move to the States eons of years ago. My dad always knew in his heart that someday he would have to let go of me, no matter how much he wanted to have us home forever. As a parent of adult children today, I now understand how much my leaving home must have hurt my dad.

But he sent me off with his blessings. He also reminded me it was important for my children to grow up seeing the nativity set around at Christmas. We called it a ‘belen’ back in the Philippines. Nearly every Filipino home has one. It can be made of the simplest materials or the most elaborate pieces. Either way, it is simply the ‘child in a manger’. Ours is a simple nativity set. In fact, the images were so tiny that when my children were small, they played with it often.

I used to take out each piece carefully out of the box every year. The children and I made a ceremony out of fixing it up. The baby in the manger was always in the center, with the figurines of Mary and Joseph, his parents, around him. Then the 3 wise men were set prominently next to them. And of course, the shepherd boys and the animals were favorites of my children who liked to move them around. We moved the display around through the house, over the years. Sometimes the nativity set would be on the window, at times on the coffee table or the piano. No matter where it was, the belen was a symbol of our faith and occupied a central place in our hearts and home.

My dad was right. The children needed to have something to draw strength from as they were growing up. Tapping on our faith was the first solution to anything we have encountered in life. It has always been. It will always be. Our Christmases have been a mosaic of everything – good, bad, sad, happy, joyful, plentiful, painful, abundant, hectic, exhausting, fun, wintry cold and all sorts of experiences you could possibly throw in. One thing though, there has always been that moment when I needed to take a deep breath, stop and turn on the faucet of strength, to hang on to the faith, to will myself to keep going. Thank you, dad, for the gift of faith, hope and love. You were right, I needed that ‘belen’ all throughout my life.

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Arroz con Pollo with Chicken Inasal on Rice

And now it's time to eat. Christmas in our home is filled with food, the week before and weeks after. Last week, I cooked the Chicken Waray to honor Tacloban. It was a recipe I learned from the chefs at the fundraisers we had for the typhoon relief. This is one of the easiest and simplest Arroz con Pollo recipes to make. It is so versatile and can go from an everyday meal to the fancy family event. The chicken inasal (inasal in Visayan means 'to grill') is tender, moist, with limey flavors blending well with the coconut in the marinade. It is perfect to pair with the nutty, slightly sweet rice mix and crisp vegetables. You can add vegetables or meat that you have on hand and it will always turn out spectacular. This recipe was slightly adapted from the various recipes including 'Arroz Con Pollo" from 'The Alba Cookbook' by Senor Anastacio Alba and Miguel de Alba (a gift from the book designer Ige Ramos). This recipe below serves 4 as a side dish, or for 2 if folks are really hungry.

Ingredients

  • 4 to 5 pieces cooked from previous recipe (see blog post 'Chicken Waray') Chicken Waray (or chicken inasal)
  • 6 Tablespoons recipe follows below achuete oil
  • 4 cloves minced and chopped garlic
  • 1 medium chopped onion
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 to 3 cups at least a day old, should be refrigerated cooked rice
  • 1 cup cooked and steamed, cut in 2-inch pieces green beans
  • 2 pieces peeled, sliced, for garnish hard boiled eggs
  • 1 large seeded, sliced in 2-inch strips (remove inner white membrane), to saute and leave a few strips for garnish red or green pepper
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large around 6 ounces, sliced, about a cup when cut up Spanish chorizo

Instructions

  • Cook the Chicken Waray (chicken inasal)  either by grilling on an outdoor grill or oven roasting. See previous blog post "Chicken Waray". Or use any leftover cooked chicken pieces.
  • In a large skillet, over medium heat, add the achuete oil. After 1 to 2 minutes when oil is hot enough, add the sliced Spanish chorizos. Move around the skillet for about 2 to 3 minutes to flavor the oil. Then remove chorizos from skillet and set aside for later. Saute the garlic and onions for 1 to 2 minutes. Add half of the red bell pepper strips.
  • When onions are transparent and bell pepper strips are softened, add the tomato paste and chicken broth. Blend well. Add the chicken pieces and incorporate the sauce with the rest of the ingredients. Place the cooked rice into the skillet and blend all the ingredients well. Season with salt and black pepper.
  • Situate the chicken pieces on top of the dish. Add the green beans, chorizo and slices of bell peppers to garnish. Serve as a main dish or as a side.
  • How to make Achuete Oil: I have a bottle of this ready for any dish. Achuete or annatto seeds are used to add a red color to dishes and infuse rich, nutty flavors to any entree. I follow this recipe from "Memories of Philippine Kitchens" by Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan ~ In a medium saucepan over medium heat, warm 2 cups of vegetable oil with 1/2 cup of annatto seeds (achuete), 6 whole pieces of garlic cloves, 2 pieces bay leaves. This mixture will bubble in about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Allow the achuete oil to set for 1 to 2 hours. When cool enough to handle, strain the oil through a sieve. Discard the annatto seeds. Store in a bottled glass container and refrigerate when not in use. * I used only a few tablespoons for this Arroz Con Pollo recipe.

Hello, Friends! All the images and content here are COPYRIGHT PROTECTED. This means BY LAW you are NOT allowed to use my photos or content on your website  without my permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write it in your own words and simply link back to this blog to give proper attribution. It’s the legal thing to do. Thank you. Email me at [email protected]

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    13 Comments

    1. Hi Betty Ann–
      Merry Christmas!
      I have just read your directions for achuete oil.
      It’s very helpful.
      I have two questions:
      1.) Do we not discard the garlic and the bay leaves too?
      2.) How long does the oil keep in the ref without getting rancid?
      Salamat!
      Lolly

      Reply

    2. Hi Betty Ann–
      Merry Christmas!
      I have just read your directions for achuete oil.
      They are very helpful.
      I have two questions:
      1.) Do we not discard the garlic and the bay leaves too?
      2.) How long does the oil keep in the ref without getting rancid?
      Salamat!
      Lolly

      Reply

      1. Thanks for the reminder, Lolita. Yes, we can discard the garlic and bay leaves when we strain the achuete oil through the sieve. But I like to keep the garlic and bay leaves a day or 2 in the oil. During cold weather here, the achuete oil stays good in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 weeks. I use it a lot for marinades and cooking so my supply runs out quick.

        Reply

    3. You’ve just inspired me to get my own belen for next year! We also have them back home n the DR! Thanks for sharing these great memories – your Dad sounds like an amazing man.

      Reply

    5. Hubby and I love hearty dishes like this, it is a true comfort food! I love that you topped it with sliced hard boiled eggs. Your recipe sounds delicious, Hugs, Terra

      Reply

    6. hi,
      I just read the story you posted on FB re this recipe. Too bad I missed it last year the 1st time you posted it. I’m glad you reposted – it’s very touching. What a special person tatay Meni was! A lasting gift to you was the belen tradition which Tim & Toby can pass on to their families. You’re very lucky.
      Winnie

      Reply

      1. Thanks, Winnie. I’ll never forget what dad taught us about having a “belen” at home. It was one of his last ‘gifts’ to me. Priceless. Nice of you to stop by the blog 🙂

        Reply

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