Arroz con Pollo

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From Time/Life's Foods of the World - The Cooking of Spain and Portugal, 1969:

 The east coast of Spain, starting in the south at Cabo de Gata and winding northward past warm Mediterranean waters, has many names - traditionally, it is known as the Levante; Levantar in Spanish means to rise, and the sun rises in the east. Composed of four provinces - Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Castellón de la Plana - it has been referred to as the Phoenician Coast because it was a trading place for the Phoenicians, one of the few peoples who did not care to invade the land beyond the mountains. the Spanish ministry of Information and Tourism has named the southern half of the Levante, "The White Coast" for its brilliant light, and on many maps the northern half is ornately labeled, "Coast of Orange Blossoms." but it is the kitchens of Spain that have given the Levante its plainest and most accurate title: they call it "The Land of Rice.

arroz con pollo, along with the national treasure of spain known as paella,  is a traditional staple in spain just as grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup are in america; as pad thai is in thailand and borscht is in russia. 

here's a picture of one version of it:

naturally, being such a universal dish, arroz con pollo is subject to variation across the regions of spain and even from household-to-household. of course anyone making it for you is going to tell you their their dish is the only proper way to prepare arroz con pollo!

here is the recipe given by time-life:

arroz con pollo

chicken with saffron rice and peas

a 2 1/2- to 3-pound chicken, cut into 6-8 serving pieces 
salt 
freshly-ground black pepper 
1 tbsp lard (i suggest extra virgin olive oil) 
1/4-pound salt pork, finely diced 
1 cup finely chopped onions 
1 tsp finely chopped garlic 
1tbsp paprika 
1 cup chopped tomatoes 
1 1/2 cups raw medium or long-grain regular-milled rice or imported short-grain rice 
1 cup fresh or frozen peas 
3 cups boiling water 
1/8 tsp ground saffron or saffron threads crushed with a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon 
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
pat the chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels and sprinkle them liberally with salt and a few grindings of pepper. in a heavy 4-quart casserole, melt the lard over medium heat. add the salt pork dice and, stirring frequently, cook until they have rendered all their fat and become crisp and golden brown; then, with a slotted spoon, transfer them to paper towels to drain. add the chicken to the fat in the casserole and brown it, turning the pieces with tongs and regulating the heat so that they color quickly and evenly without burning. set the chicken aside on a platter.
pour off all but a thin film of fat from the casserole. stir in the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent but not brown. stir in the paprika, then the tomatoes and bring to a boils, stirring frequently. cook briskly, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, or until most of the liquid in the pan evaporates and the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape lightle in a spoon.

return the chicken and pork dice to the casserole, and add the rice, peas, boiling water, saffron and 1 tsp salt. stir together gently but thoroughly. bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low, cover tightly and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the rice has absorbed all the liquid. stir in the parsley, and taste for seasoning. cover and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes before serving directly from the casserole.