Originally from Cooks Illustrated Sep/Oct ’06

  • 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
  • table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
  • Groud black pepper
  • 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3.5-4 pounds).
    Boneless skinless also work.
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, choped fine (about 1 cup)
  • 1 small green pepper, stemmed seeded and chopped fine (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro leaves
  • 1 (oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3 cups medium grain rice
  • 1/2 cup olives, pitted and halved (manzanilla, green recommended)
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1/2 cup jarred pimentos, cut into 2 by 1/4″ strips (I skipped this)
  • lemon wedges for serving.

Oven rack in middle, preheat to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl place garlic and 1 teaspoon salt.  Mix to make a smooth paste.  Add oregano, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper to garlic paste.  Stir to combine.  Place chicken in bowl with marinade.  Coat chicken pieces evenly with marinade.  Set aside for at least 15 minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch over over medium heat until shimmering (we used a small stock pot, this meant having to switch to a glass casserole dish later for the oven).  Add onion, green pepper, and pepper flakes.  Cook stirring until vegetables begin to soften, 4-8 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro; stir to combine.  Push vegetables to sides of pot and increase heat to medium-high.  Add chicken to clearing in
center of pot, skin side down, in even layer.  Cook, without moving chicken, until outer layer of meat becomes opaque, 2-4 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook on second side until opaque.  (note, fully done chicken here will mean overcooked chicken later, so don’t do it).  Add tomato sauce, broth, and water.  Sit.  Bring to simmer, cover, reduce to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add rice, olives, capers, and 3/4 tsp salt, stir well.  Bring to simmer, cover, then move to oven (here is where you switch to a glass casserole if using a non-oven safe pot).  After 10 minutes, stir chicken and rice once from bottom up.  Return to oven, wait 10 minutes, then repeat, adding 1/4 cup water it rice appears dry or pot is beginning to burn. Return to oven, cook until rice has absorbed all liquid and is
tender, but still holds its shape and temperature of chicken registers 175, about 10 minutes longer.

Using tongs, remove chicken from pot, replace lid, and set pot aside. Remove and discard the chicken skin.  Pull meat of bones in large chucks.  Remove fat or dark veins from chicken pieces.  Place chicken in a large bowl and toss with remaining tablespoon olive old and 2 teaspoons vinegar, 2 tables spoons cilantro and pimentos.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Place chicken on top of rice, cover and let stand until warmed again.  Serve.