Kitchen Secrets with Our Cuban Chef – Arroz Imperial
Arroz imperial, or imperial rice with chicken, is a hearty and comforting dish trendy in Cuba. It consists of layers of yellow rice, mayonnaise, grated cheese, diced ham, and shredded chicken that has been stewed with tomatoes, peppers, and aromatics, similar to a lasagna. It is usually served at large gatherings, such as weddings, baptisms, and other important meetings and rites of passage. Typical accompaniments are green salad and fried ripe plantain or tostones.
There does not seem to be a definite point of origin for arroz imperial and there is even some doubt as to whether it is truly Cuban, or a Cuban-American hybrid, invented by Cuban immigrants living in Miami. One theory is that it is a casserole version of the famous genuine Cuban dish, arroz con Pollo.
It is said that arroz imperial was first served in restaurants in Matanzas in the early 20th century and that the dish became popular with locals and visitors alike, soon spreading to other parts of Cuba. Unfortunately, this explanation appears to be mere hearsay, and documentary evidence is virtually non-existent.
There is also speculation that arroz imperial is an ancient Central American high-end dish. Again, there seems to be no objective evidence for this, only word of mouth.
What is certain, however, is that Cubans in Miami have been preparing and enjoying arroz imperial con pollo for several decades, so even if its actual provenance cannot be traced exactly, there is no doubt that it is a much-loved family dish.
The truth is that cooking a good Cuban-style arroz imperial is quite easy, we show you the recipe you can’t miss.
The idea is to make a lasagna using rice as a base. And as I always tell you, it is not necessary to stick to all the ingredients, these can be changed depending on what we have on hand at the time of elaboration. What should never be changed are the chicken, cheese, and mayonnaise. The other ingredients are to your taste because the combinations can be infinite.
Some people prefer to add other meats, such as pork in its different varieties: pork loin, cut meat, etc. Other people like to add sausages, such as ham or chorizos; or seafood, such as shrimp. Even the amount of mayonnaise can vary, depending on your taste. I can tell you that the imperial rice not only looks spectacular when you see it on the tray, but it is also exquisite because of the combination of flavors present.
HOW IS arroz imperial MADE?
Ingredients:
- 3 cups of rice
- 2 chicken breasts
- ½ kg shrimp
- ½ kg of ham
- 1 1/2 large onion
- Garlic (3 or 4 cloves are enough)
- 1 ½ tbsp. fried tomato puree
- 1 pinch of cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp. white pepper
- Salt and sweet paprika to taste
- Sunflower oil
- Grated cheese
- Mayonnaise
SO HOW TO PREPARE ARROZ IMPERIAL?
- The first thing we are going to do is cook the chicken breasts over high heat until they are well cooked in 1 liter of water, add the chicken stock cube, 1 tablespoon of tomato puree, the bay leaves, the pinch of cumin, ½ onion, 1 clove of crushed garlic and salt to taste.
- When the breasts are ready, remove them and reserve the water, shred well with a fork and mix in a frying pan with 1 onion chopped into small pieces, 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of tomato puree and oil.
- Use the water from the cooking of the breasts to cook the rice, depending on the measure you have to cook it in your pot will be the amount of water you add.
- We tell you this because each pot is different, so we guarantee that it will be the way you like it. Prepare a sofrito with oil, garlic and onion, add the rice and then add it to the water, put it to cook.
- To cook the shrimp you can do it in 2 different ways, the first one is to put them in a pot with boiling water for only a couple of minutes and take them out before they get too soft.
- The other alternative, and this is the one we like the most, is to first clean them and then fry them in oil and garlic for only 3 minutes, to make sure they have the right texture.
- On the other hand, we chop the ham well into small squares and also fry them a little in a pan with very little oil and set aside.
- When we have these preparations ready, it is time for the best part, which is to put all the ingredients together.
- In the mold that we have chosen we are going to incorporate several layers, but first we spread a little mayonnaise on the bottom, not too much, just so that it is a little spread.
- The first layer to add is the rice layer, we arrange it well so that it is as uniform as possible.
- The second layer is part of the shredded chicken, just a little of the ham and some shrimp. On top we add mayonnaise and just a little grated cheese.
- Then we add another layer of rice and repeat the procedure, chicken, ham, shrimp, mayonnaise and cheese.
- Until all the ingredients are used up or until the mold allows it, the last layer should be of mayonnaise and enough grated cheese (to taste).
- Bake at 400 degrees F depending on the oven you use, the time varies from 5 to 10 minutes, you will know it is ready when you see the grated cheese on the surface completely melted.
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