Asopao de Pollo [Video+Recipe] Chicken and Rice Pottage

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pound chicken ([0.7 kg] boneless, and cut into small pieces (see notes))
• 1 1/2 tablespoon salt ((or more, to taste, divided))
• 1 1/4 teaspoons pepper (freshly-cracked, or ground) ((or more, to taste, divided))
• 1 teaspoon oregano (dry, ground)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice ((optional))
• 2 1/2 tablespoon oil for frying
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mashed garlic
• 1 red bell pepper (diced)
• 1 large carrot (diced (optional))
• 1/4 cup sweet corn (or green peas, or both (optional))
• 1 cup diced auyama (kabocha squash) ( optional))
• 1 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 1/4 cups rice
• 2 tablespoons minced parsley

Instructions

1. 1

   --- 1. Seasoning chicken ---

2. 2

   Season chicken: Season the chicken with 1½ teaspoons of salt, pepper, oregano, and lime juice.

3. 3

   --- 2. Browning chicken ---

4. 4

   Brown chicken: Heat the oil over medium heat in a ¾ qt [3 lt] pot. Add sugar to the hot oil and heat until it turns brown. Add chicken and stir to brown all over. Be careful with splatters.

5. 5

   --- 3. Adding vegetables ---

6. 6

   Add vegetables: Add garlic, tomato, bell pepper, oregano, carrot, peas, auyama, and stir to mix. Stir frequently to cook evenly for about a minute (until they are heated through). Add tomato sauce and stir to combine.

7. 7

   --- 4. Cooking rice ---

8. 8

   Cook rice: Pour 6 cups [1½ liters] of water and heat until it breaks the boil.Add the rice to the pot. Stir to mix well and simmer over medium-low heat. Simmer, stirring often to avoid the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.Once the rice has doubled in size, and the grains have opened, and it has reduced to the consistency you prefer, season with salt and pepper to taste. Mix in the parsley. and remove from the heat.

9. 9

   --- 5. Serving ---

10. 10

    Serve: It should be served hot, see above for some serving options.