P
Peruvian
Arroz con Pollo
Peruvian arroz con pollo is distinguished from its Caribbean and Spanish counterparts by the use of fresh coriander (cilantro) blended into a vivid green purée with ají amarillo that is cooked into the rice, producing a distinctively green, aromatic preparation. Chicken pieces are browned, then braised with the coriander-ají purée, beer, and chicken stock; the rice is cooked in the same liquid and absorbs all the chicken fat and herb aromatics. The result is rice that is vivid green, deeply flavoured, and perfumed with coriander in a way that European or Caribbean versions do not share. This preparation represents the fusion of Spanish rice-with-chicken technique and the Andean preference for fresh herb purées as flavour bases.
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I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1 (whole bunch)
Fresh coriander
blended to a purée; 2 tbsp reserved raw for finishing
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
2–3
Ají amarillo
blended into the coriander purée
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
30 ml
Neutral oil
for blending purée and browning
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
1.2–1.4 kg
Chicken pieces
bone-in; skin on
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
330 ml
Lager beer
one bottle or can
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
500 ml
Chicken stock
Your own market
300 g
Long-grain white rice
rinsed
Your own market
To serve
Tostones (twice-fried plantain)
prepared separately
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Salsa criolla
red onion, ají amarillo, lime
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
II
The Method
1
Blend the entire bunch of coriander with the ají amarillo and 30 ml of oil to a smooth, vivid green purée. Reserve 2 tablespoons of raw purée aside for finishing. The purée must be intense in colour and smell; a pale or watery result indicates insufficient coriander.
From the canon — Ají amarillo (Capsicum baccatum) — Peru's most important chilli — is the single most distinctive flavour in Peruvian cooking. Ají Amarillo: Peru's Essential Chilli →
2
Pat the chicken pieces dry. Brown them in oil over a high heat in the braising pot, turning once, until the skin is deep golden on all sides. Pale, unbrowned chicken will produce pale green rice. The skin should release cleanly from the pan when the crust has formed.
3
Remove the chicken. In the same pot, add the coriander-ají purée and cook it in the residual fat over a medium heat, stirring continuously, until it darkens slightly and smells cooked through rather than raw — this step is where the dish lives or dies: raw purée added directly to stock produces a bland, bitter base that no subsequent cooking will correct.
4
Return the chicken to the pot. Pour in the lager and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and braise, partially covered, until the chicken is cooked through and yields easily when pressed but has not fallen apart. The liquid should remain at a low, steady movement — not a rolling boil.
5
Lift the chicken pieces out and set aside. Measure the remaining liquid; adjust with stock if needed to the quantity required for the rice. Bring to a simmer, add the rinsed rice, and stir once to distribute evenly. Cook uncovered until the surface liquid has almost entirely absorbed and craters begin to appear across the surface of the rice.
6
Return the chicken pieces on top of the rice. Cover the pot tightly and reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook until the rice is fully tender and no liquid remains at the base of the pot. Do not lift the lid prematurely; uneven steaming produces patchy texture. The rice is done when a wooden spoon drawn to the edge reveals a dry, green-stained base.
7
Off the heat, stir the reserved 2 tablespoons of raw coriander purée through the rice. The finished dish should be vivid green, deeply aromatic, and carry a distinct fresh coriander note above the cooked, integrated base. Serve with tostones and salsa criolla.
III
Quality Hierarchy
01
Reserve — Chicken from a named heritage breed, stock reduced from the carcass of the same bird, and a single-origin ají amarillo paste ground from dried whole chiles — each element carries distinct character into the braise.
02
Estate — Free-range bone-in chicken pieces, good-quality fresh ají amarillo, and home-made stock from a previous roast; the purée is made from a full, fresh bunch of coriander sourced the same day.
03
Market — Standard supermarket chicken pieces, jarred ají amarillo paste, and a decent commercial chicken stock; the result is sound provided the purée step and the browning are executed correctly.
04
House — Any bone-in chicken pieces, ají amarillo paste from a jar, and stock from a cube dissolved in the braising liquid; the dish remains recognisable if the coriander quantity is not reduced.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Smell. The cooked purée smells of warm, integrated herb and chile rather than sharp, raw coriander — the signal that sautéing is complete.
◇Sight. The rice surface shows craters and the liquid has pulled away before the lid goes on.
◇Sight. A spoon drawn to the pot's edge reveals a dry, vivid-green base with no pooling liquid when the rice is done.
◇Touch. The braised chicken yields to gentle pressure but holds its shape and does not fall from the bone — the mark of a braise, not a boil.
◇Where it lives or dies. The coriander-ají purée must be sautéed in fat until its raw note has cooked out before any liquid is added; purée added raw to stock produces a bland, bitter base that no subsequent cooking will correct.
Pillar V
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VI
What to Pour
A cold Peruvian lager mirrors the beer used in the braise; alternatively, a dry, unoaked white — Peruvian Quebranta-based pisco sour as an aperitif, transitioning to lager at the table, suits the vivid herb and chile character of the dish.
The whole pairingPillar VII
Origin and lineage are part of membership.
Where the dish comes from and how it came to be — on every recipe.
Enter · from $49 a year