Arroz Con Gandules Rice And Pigeon Peas A Puerto Rican Fav Recipes

Steps:

• Lay 1 banana leaf (or more, if needed) flat on a large cutting board, then set the lid of a large Dutch oven or similar pot on top. Use a paring knife to trace around the lid, and cut the leaf (or leaves) so that they will fit properly inside the pot. Cover with a clean dishcloth and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook the neutral oil and annatto seeds over medium heat, allowing the seeds to infuse the oil. After 2 to 3 minutes, when the oil begins to bubble and the seeds start to crackle, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool completely. Pour the cool oil through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving seeds for another round of infusing, if desired.
• Make the sofrito: Use a food processor or high-speed blender to pulse the onion, red and green bell peppers, cubanelle pepper, garlic, cilantro, scallions, ají dulce peppers (if using) and culantro (if using), adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed to achieve a smooth, salsa-like consistency. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon sazón and set aside. (The sofrito makes about 2 cups. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days or portion it into ice cube trays or plastic containers, and freeze up to 6 months.)
• Set the large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons annatto oil and the ham or fatback. Sauté until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sofrito, the olives and 1 tablespoon sazón, stirring until sofrito is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Next, add pigeon peas and sauté for another 3 minutes. Season with adobo, salt and black pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add rice, stirring until grains are all coated, seasoned and starting to toast. If there isn't enough oil to generously coat all of the rice and peas in the pot, add the remaining tablespoon of annatto oil. This will help form a delicious golden bottom crust called pegao.
• Once the rice is toasted, stir in the beer and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the reserved pigeon-pea liquid (or 2 1/2 cups water) and roasted red pepper brine. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust salt as needed; it should be pleasantly salty.
• Gently stir rice, then spread about half the thinly sliced roasted red pepper over the rice. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover rice with prepared banana leaves, then cover pot with its lid and cook for 22 minutes.
• Once the time has passed, remove the lid, open the banana leaves and gently fold the rice onto itself from the outside in to form a mound in the center of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, replace banana leaves and lid and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes to allow pegao to form at the bottom of the pot.
• To serve, spoon rice atop a platter layered with fresh banana leaves. Garnish with remaining sliced roasted peppers. Use a metal spatula to scrape pegao out of the pot and serve on a separate plate. Be careful, because everyone will fight over it!

Steps:

• Heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium-sized caldero or nonstick pan. Stir in sofrito, garlic, sazon, and adobo; cook for 4 minutes, making sure not to burn garlic. Stir in rice until coated well; pour in chicken broth and water and stir once more.
• Bring mixture to a boil and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid has been absorbed and rice looks like it has little holes throughout, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Stir in peas and cilantro gently from bottom to top, once or twice only. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let rice sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes more.

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook Sofrito in oil over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add rice and sazon; cook and stir until rice is lightly toasted, 3-4 minutes. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until rice is tender, 15-20 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Steps:

• Pour olive oil in a cast iron/aluminum pot until hot.
• Bring the temp up to med-high and pour in water, bullion, tomato sauce, sofrito, adobo, and sazon until it comes to a boil.
• Pour in pigeon peas (gandules) and let boil for a minute.
• Pour in rice.
• Stir ONCE and put the lid on it, sealing tightly.
• Let sit for 20 minutes on low-medium.
• If the rice looks gummy DO NOT STIR IT, just put the lid back on and wait until the rice is firm (ready).
• If you desire the crunchiness on the bottom, once the rice is done cooking, put the temp on very low temp and let it sit for about 5 minutes. The bottom will loosen up from the moisture (since it it's done cooking).

Steps:

• In a big pot heat up 2 tbsps oil on a low flame and put in the Sofrito and all the other ingredients except rice and water.
• Stir fry for 3 minutes.
• Then put the rice in and stir well.
• Next add the water, leave the pot uncovered, cook over medium heat and let the rice dry out.
• As soon as the rice is dry, turn the rice over,in the pot, put the cover back on and put on low flame for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes turn rice over again and serve.

Steps:

• Begin to boil the water, add the rice.
• Cook for 15 minutes without stirring it. Add the salt, milk and butter and leave it to boil.
• Lower the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes more.
• Take it off the burner. If you prefer it more milky, add more milk.