A Peruvian criollo classic of cilantro-green rice and deeply browned chicken. The rice stays loose and savory, with tender vegetables and a juicy piece of chicken that carries the flavor of the pot. It is the kind of lunch that smells like home the moment you lift the lid.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Wash the cilantro well and remove the seeds and thick ribs from the ají amarillo. Blend both with one fifth of the water for 30 to 45 seconds, until you have an intense green purée that is smooth and fluid enough to pour without becoming watery.
Season the chicken pieces with two fifths of the salt and half of the pepper and cumin. Heat a little over half of the oil in a wide pot and sear the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes total, starting skin-side down and turning once it develops a deep golden-brown crust. Remove it; it does not need to be cooked through yet.
Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, and cook the chopped red onion for 5 to 6 minutes, until translucent with lightly browned edges. Stir in the ground garlic, the remaining pepper and cumin, and another fifth of the salt; cook for 1 minute. Add the green purée and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the raw aroma fades and the green darkens slightly.
Pour in the dark beer and boil for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sharp alcoholic aroma softens. Add the remaining water, return the chicken to the pot, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, until the meat next to the bone no longer looks raw and the juices run nearly clear. Remove the pieces and keep them nearby; they will finish cooking on top of the rice.
Rinse the rice in a strainer until the water runs almost clear, then drain it well. Add it to the cooking liquid with the diced carrot, peas, corn, and the remaining salt; once it returns to a boil, cover and cook over the lowest heat for 14 minutes without stirring. Open the pot, arrange the red bell pepper strips and chicken pieces on top, cover again, and cook for 4 more minutes, until the rice is tender with no free liquid left at the bottom and the chicken reaches 74°C/165°F in the thickest part without touching bone or has no pink areas next to the bone.
Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 5 minutes. Lift out the chicken, loosen the rice gently from the edges toward the center without crushing the grains, then serve one piece of chicken over each portion. If the rice is loose, green, and moist with no broth pooled at the bottom, it came out exactly right. And that is it—serve it while it is still piping hot 😌
