Tampa Soul Food

Arroz amarillo con pollo y camarones-- Chicken and yellow rice with shrimp. This is the signature dish of Tampa's Spanish restaurants and it appeared often on our family table, conveyed thither by my father who would pick up a to-go container of the delicious stuff on his way home from work.

The recipe I used is adapted from the cookbook Clarita's Cocina by Clarita Garcia of Tampa's famous Las Novedades restaurant. (It's a terrific cookbook, probably long out of print but worth looking for on used books sites.)

The Recipe

(which could be made with only chicken or only shrimp)

1 large chicken, cut into serving pieces. Reserve the back to make broth. (Or you could use 3-4 lb. of chicken thighs and/or breasts and use canned chicken broth.) 

1/2 cup olive oil

i large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 large ripe tomato, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

I lemon, juice of

1 bay leaf

1 tbs. salt

Hot sauce to taste (I used Sriracha)

1 cup hot chicken broth

 

2 packets Goya Sazon (yes, I have boycotted Goya ever since the former guy pitched it but alas, I can't find or make a substitute that give the same taste that is part of this childhood memory.)

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 c. basmati rice

12 or more shrimp, raw, peeled

1 c. thawed frozen baby green peas (I just dump them in hot water and as soon as they've thawed, drain them.)

Pimento strips

In a large skillet or casserole suitable for stovetop and oven cooking, lightly brown the chicken pieces in oil. Set aside. Add the onion and green pepper. Sauté till translucent. Add tomato, garlic, lemon juice, bay leaf, hot sauce, and salt. Mix well and cook till tomato softens.

Dissolve the sazon in the hot chicken broth and add the white wine. Pour on vegetables and stir well. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, cover and cook about 15 minutes or till tender.

Add rice, stir to distribute then bring to a boil.  Cover and place in preheated oven (325F) for 20 minutes or until rice has cooked. Put the raw shrimp on top of the rice for the last 5 minutes--they just need to turn pink and curl up a bit --no overcooking!

Remove casserole from oven, garnish with the peas and pimentos, recover and let sit 15 minutes.

All you need now is a green salad and a glass of wine. Cuban bread would be great--if you can find any.