- 2 large chicken breasts (skinned and deboned)
- 1 cup rice
- 1 can tomato paste (4 oz)
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
- 1/2 cup bell pepper (diced)
- 1/2 cup white onion (diced)
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 3 garlic cloves (minced)
- Olive oil
- Dash of salt
- Dash of red pepper
Directions:
- Wash chicken breasts and add to a large pot, adding water until the chicken is completely covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer. Add minced garlic clove, and cook uncovered until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove chicken, and save the broth in the pot. Shred the chicken into large chunks using two forks, then set aside.
- Add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a saucepan over low heat. Add the diced bell pepper and onion, saute until the onion is translucent. Add the tomato paste and chicken, bringing mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add peas, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Mix in a dash of salt and red pepper, remove from heat and set aside.
- Add cup of rice to the chicken broth mixture, and one teaspoon of ground annatto seed or achiote paste (for color). Cover pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes until the rice absorbs most of the broth. Add mayonnaise to the cooked rice, mixing well.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread half of your rice mixture to the bottom of a glass baking dish. Add the shredded chicken on top of the rice, creating a layer. Add the remaining rice mixture to the top of the chicken, pressing down with a spatula to make everything firm and even. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top of the last layer. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes, remove before cheese starts to brown.
- Optional: Add a thin layer of mayo to the top layer of rice after removing from oven. It sounds unusual, but it's an extremely popular way for Cubans to enjoy this dish.
