I’ve been very fortunate to have friends who enjoy cooking as much as I do. Most of them even willingly share their family recipes with me, like today’s recipe, courtesy of my friend Glo.

Gloria’s father is Peruvian. He taught her mother how to make his family’s take on a one-pot dish called Arroz con Pollo Peruano (Peruvian chicken with rice). Glo’s mom taught her, and about 10 years ago, Glo taught me. I now make this dish year-round, especially when I need something easy yet nourishing. Plus, this dish cooks on the stovetop, meaning there’s no need to make your kitchen any warmer during the summer by turning on the oven.

I love one-pot recipes. I am also a huge fan of chicken with rice. It’s a winning combination seen in so many dishes from around the world, including chicken biryani (India), asopao de Pollo (Puerto Rico), oyakodon (Japan), jollof rice with chicken (West Africa), tahchin morgh (Iran), paella de pollo (Spain) and of course, arroz con pollo (various versions throughout Latin America), to name just a few. So I’m always excited to learn a new way of putting these two ingredients together. The simple ingredients for this particular dish are ones I always have on hand, making it a great go-to recipe. I also adore cilantro and love that it’s a star ingredient.

Over the years, I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe, but it retains most of the steps and ingredients Gloria taught me at its core. Unlike most recipes for this dish, Glo’s version doesn’t use aji amarillo paste — a smoky, spicy Peruvian chile condiment. Feel free to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of it when you add the garlic to the onions. Aji amarillo is available at Northgate Market, Specialty Produce or online. I don’t keep the paste in my pantry, so I substitute it with finely diced jalapeño or serrano, which I always have on hand.

Second, I recently changed from finely chopping the cilantro to liquefying it in my Vitamix (when I’m too lazy to pull it out, my NutriBullet Pro sitting on my kitchen window sill works well, too) with some of the chicken stock. I got the idea to do this after chatting with my youngest sister, who doesn’t like cilantro (how are we related?), but she said it doesn’t bother her as much if pureed. Liquefying ingredients like cilantro, chiles, onion and garlic with some of the cooking liquid is a technique seen often in Mexican cooking. I tried it and loved how the rice turned a subtle green. The herbaceousness of the cilantro came through without being overpowering.

I also love this method because I don’t have to spend as much time taking the leaves off the stems (those stems have a lot of flavor but can be hard to break down fine enough when chopping). I remove the bottom, tougher stems and toss the cilantro straight into the blender with ⅓ cup of broth. After pouring it into the pot, I add ¼ cup of broth to the blender, swish it around to clean the bottom and sides and add it to the pot (I hate wasting all that cilantro yumminess).

If you don’t want any heat, leave out the peppers. Hate cilantro? Use parsley. Don’t want to use beer? Use all stock.

I also love the richness of bone-in, skin-on dark meat, so I use thighs and drumsticks. But I’ve seen this recipe with a whole chicken broken down, so everyone gets their favorite piece. I’ve also seen this done with just chicken breast.

Peru’s Independence Day is July 28, commemorating the country’s liberation from Spanish rule. July 29 marks the establishment of the Republic of Peru. These celebrations are known as Fiestas Patrias Peruanas or Peruvian National Holidays, and I think that makes it the perfect time to try this recipe.

1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped 1½ teaspoons cumin 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed 1 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks Olive oil, as needed 1½ cups cilantro, leaves and tender stems (about ¾ bunch), plus more for garnishing ⅓ cup plus 1 cup chicken stock, divided use ½ large or 1 whole small onion, chopped (about 2 cups) 1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, deseeded, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup long-grain white rice (I like jasmine) 1 cup beer 1 cup frozen peas

Mix together the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Lay chicken out on a sheet pan and brush all sides with olive oil. Massage the oregano mixture into the chicken. Heat a Dutch oven, deep 12-inch skillet or braiser over medium-high. Once hot, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Working in batches, add chicken skin-side down first; brown on all sides, rendering out the fat in the skin.

While the chicken is browning, puree cilantro in a blender or food processor with ⅓ cup chicken stock until liquefied, about 3 minutes in a high-powered blender and about 5 minutes in a standard; set aside.

As the chicken browns, transfer to a plate and set aside. Some of the seasonings will have burnt. Use tongs and wadded-up paper towels to clean out the loose seasoning and oil, leaving any of the stuck-on browned bits behind. Lower the heat to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drop in the onions and saute until softened and turning golden, about 4 minutes, stirring often to help bring up any brown bits. Add the jalapeño and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Toss in the rice and toast until the rice turns opaque and begins to turn golden, stirring continuously to keep it from burning. Add the remaining chicken stock, the beer and cilantro (reserve some of the stock or beer to rinse out the blender and add to the pot). Heat through for 5 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasoning if needed. Nestle the chicken back into the pot, adding the meat juices left on the plate. Cover, and cook for 25 minutes on low. Sprinkle in the peas. Continue cooking, covered, for 5 more minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees. Remove chicken, fluff rice with a fork then divide chicken and rice among 4 plates. Garnish with roughly chopped cilantro, if desired.

Turn it into a soup: With a few additions, leftover Arroz con Pollo Peruano quickly transforms into a Peruvian chicken and rice soup called aguadito de pollo. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Saute ⅓ cup finely diced onion, ⅓ cup finely diced red bell pepper, 1 minced clove of garlic and 1 finely minced serrano (or add 2 teaspoons of aji amarillo paste), cooking until the onions have softened. Add the leftover Arroz con Pollo Peruano, deboning and shredding the chicken first. Depending on the amount of leftovers, pour in 3 to 4 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Toss in 1 to 2 cups of 1-inch chunks of waxy potatoes such as fingerling, new white or red potatoes (a medium starch potato such as Yukon gold will work in a pinch) and 1 or 2 large roughly chopped carrots. Partially cover and simmer until potatoes and carrots are fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve, garnished with freshly chopped cilantro, chopped fresh chile such as serrano, Fresno or jalapeño and a squeeze of lime.

Recipe is copyrighted by Anita L. Arambula and is reprinted by permission from “Confessions of a Foodie.”

Arambula is the food section art director and designer. She blogs at confessionsofafoodie.me, where the original version of this article was published. Follow her on Instagram: @afotogirl. She can be reached at anita.arambula@sduniontribune.com.

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