Tips for Las Novedades Yellow Rice and Chicken

My grandmother's adaptation of the 1890's version of the Las Novedades Arroz Amarillo Con Pollo contains a charming story starring a former president and his men riding horses through Ybor City. Yellow Rice and Chicken was a go to recipe for our family on Sunday. It is an easy recipe, but full of little steps. My mom combined some of these in order to streamline. For the full recipe can go to Clarita's Cocina pg 232-233.

TIPS BELOW:

1. First in a medium bowl or large measuring cup add the tomato, garlic, lemon juice, bay leaf, salt and hot sauce. Mix and let this sit while you prep.

2. Three pans on the stove.

A. Small saucepan for the saffron and chicken broth.

B. Medium/large saute pan for browning chicken remove then add the onions/pepper and after the Tomato mixture.

C. Something similar to the 3.5 Le Creuset Buffet Casserole Dish with a glass lid. You want a glass lid so you can easily see what is going on in there. This dish goes into the oven.

3. The recipe calls for a pinch of toasted saffron. We have the best results ( as ingredients potency can change over time) with using the entire container of Vigo saffron 0.56 oz and just crumbling it before placing it in the chicken broth.

4. Before you put the dish in the oven, it needs to be really boiling so the rice cooks all the way through in the oven and the liquids are absorbed.

5. The above is used in conjunction with the beer option instead of using wine. The recipe uses no wine, but only 6 ounces of beer poured over the rice and covered for 20 to 30 min after it is removed from the oven.

6. Peas and Pimiento optional but dress it up!