Ingredients

  • 4 pieces chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
  • 4 chicken drumsticks, bone-in, skin on
  • 2 teaspoons adobo seasoning (or salt, pepper, & paprika)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup whole-grain thin spaghetti (or vermicelli pasta, broken into 2-inch pieces)
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 celery ribs, chopped
  • 2 bell peppers, chopped
  • 2 chili peppers, seeded and finely chopped (I used jalapenos)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup short grain brown rice (or use white long-grain rice and reduce simmering time to 20 mins)

Method

  • Season the chicken liberally with Adobo seasoning (or salt, pepper, and paprika), Add to a pre-heated large, shallow pot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Once browned, remove the chicken to a plate and drain off the fat. Add butter to the pot and melt. Brown the pasta 2 minutes or until golden, remove to plate and reserve.
  • Once the pasta is browned and has been removed from the pot, add the remaining tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onion, celery, bell peppers, hot peppers, garlic and bay leaf to the pan. Cook 5 to 6 minutes to soften up a bit, then add the rice. Stir in the pasta and chicken stock. Add the chicken and cover the pot, cook 50-55 minutes, until rice is tender. Serve.
  • According to the original recipe, you can also cool this completely and store for make-ahead meal. (Although I haven't tried this, so I don't know if it turns out well, nor do I know how long to allow for reheating).
  • When ready to serve, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
  • Add 1/2 cup stock or water, sprinkled around the pan.
  • Heat the dish in the oven until heated through. If made-ahead and reheated, the rice will become crunchy on top and at the edges, but this can be a plus in the texture of the dish.