Arroz con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

This is a very tasty, traditional Cuban dish. My mother made it for us last Christmas Eve and we wanted to make it for ourselves. This is our version of it.

Ingredients:
1) One 3 pound chicken cut up into pieces.
2) One chopped Onion
3) Four chopped Cloves of garlic
4) Half of one Bell Pepper - chopped
5) One tsp. of Cumin
6) One tsp. Oregano
7)One tsp. Black Pepper
8) One Bay Leaf
9) 2 pounds of short grain Rice
10) One 12 oz can of beer
11) One 6 oz can of Tomato Sauce
12) One tsp. of Bijol Seasoning
13) One small can of Peas
14) One quarter cup of olives
15) One quarter cup of Capers
16) Juice of one Lemon
17) Six cups of Water
18) Three tbsp of Olive Oil
19) One cup of dry white wine
20) One small bottle of Pimentos

In a large cast iron pan, place the chicken, the lemon juice, the onions, garlic, bell pepper, cumin, oregano, black pepper, bay leaf and the olive oil and saute for 5 minutes. Add the water, salt to taste, and the Bijol seasoning, and cook for another 15 minutes. Add the rice and stir occasionally. Lower the heat and start adding the beer slowly, and the wine while cooking the rice. Add the liquid from the can of peas and the pimentos.
The rice has to be moist for this dish. Add the liquids slowly as needed to keep the rice moist until it is fully cooked and tender. Cook for 30 minutes on low heat. Add the olives and the capers and decorate with the pimentos and the peas.

Please let us know how you enjoy this dish.