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Pollo Canchupa Arroz
Pollo Canchupa Arroz
As seen on TV
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Who made this dish?

In this challenge, the randomizer selected the following conditions that had to be met by each chef:


Protein: Whole chicken 

Produce: Fresno peppers 

Equipment: Rolling grill basket 

Style: Weeknight dinner 

Wild card: Frozen peas


Chef described it as a "caldo de arroz" style brothier rice dish inspired by Tom Kha, a childhood favourite. 


Voiceover: "In front of you we have pollo canchupa arroz. A sauce on top was crafted in a grill basket with charred collard greens and Fresnos, then blended with frozen peas and a little chicken stock. A saute of grilled Fresnos sliced with shallots, frozen peas, curry leaves, and mint adorned the top of the rice. The breast was fabricated from the chicken and grilled on the rolling grill basket." 


Claudette Zepeda: "My mind immediately goes to my childhood in Mexico. One of my favourite dishes growing up is caldo de arroz. It was in constant rotation in my house. I'm gonna do boiled chicken with caldo de arroz. Just kind of like a brothier rice, but not a Spanish style." 


Claudette Zepeda: "I start my chicken broth. In the pot goes my chicken base, dashi powder, dried shiitakes, {aquasanta}, avocado leaves, some lemongrass. Trying to fortify the hot water as much as I can." 


Claudette Zepeda: "The broth for the rice is inspired by Tom Kha. It is a loose rice dish, more like risotto than soup. Flavors I normally make in my house." 


Claudette Zepeda: "I put Fresno peppers that have also been charred in the roller grill with peas and a little bit of chicken stock. In my head I see this green pistou-like sauce being drizzled over the rice." 


Claudette Zepeda: "I'm scooping two ladles of the caldo de arroz on the base of the plate. Then I drizzle that collard and pea pistou on top. Then I add the pea salad. Grilled chicken breast on the right and garnish with curry leaves. A pinch of salt and lime at the end. This dish is a hug in a bowl. Visceral cooking, very comforting flavors."

Michelle Bernstein: "Sopa arroz, which is obviously chicken soup. This is more of a rice stew. It's my favourite part of this dish. The chicken in that sopa is really well cooked. The chicken that's a little overcooked to me is the piece that has been in the rolling grill basket. It is quite charred." Kenny Oringer: "The chef took us on a journey. Latin America, Southeast Asia. There's the curry, the chilies, juicy, luscious chicken in that rice soup, which steals the show. I don't think they were so successful with cooking the chicken breast on top." Geoffrey Zakarian: "Really good flavors. Great weeknight meal. Great use of the randomizer. The rice is cooked expertly. I would have liked my chicken poached and shredded and incorporated into this rice. It really needed to be. I would have put the Fresno and the pea in the grill basket to get the char and smokiness on the peas. The peas are a little flat in this dish." Final score: 75. Eliminated.
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Useful Equipment
Rolling Grill Basket
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