Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Ingredients

• 2 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion (Chopped fine.)
• 2 tsp table salt
• 2 garlic cloves (Minced.)
• 3 cup jarred recaito (The source specifies 2⁄3 cup.)
• 2 tbsp canned tomato sauce
• 4 cup water
• 15 oz gandules (pigeon peas) (One can, undrained; include the liquid.)
• 3 cup pimento-stuffed Manzanilla olives (Halved crosswise.)
• 2 tsp sazón (The source recommends sazón with culantro and achiote (annatto), preferably one that contains salt.)
• 2 tsp pepper

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Drain it thoroughly and set it aside.

2. 2

   Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering.

3. 3

   Add the finely chopped onion and table salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, 5 to 6 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

5. 5

   Add the recaito and tomato sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to stick to the pot, about 4 minutes.

6. 6

   Stir in the water, the gandules and their liquid, the halved olives, sazón, and pepper, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

7. 7

   Cover the saucepan, increase the heat to high, and bring the mixture to a boil.

8. 8

   Stir in the rinsed rice and bring the mixture back to a boil.

9. 9

   Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook uncovered, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot every 2 minutes, until the liquid is level with the rice, 4 to 6 minutes.

10. 10

    Cover the saucepan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is softened, 15 to 20 minutes.

11. 11

    Remove the saucepan from the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 10 minutes.

12. 12

    Transfer the rice to a serving bowl, scraping any browned rice from the bottom of the pot into the bowl, and serve.

Notes

If using an electric stovetop, set a second burner to medium-low while the rice boils; at the end of the uncovered cooking stage, move the saucepan to the second burner to continue cooking. Jarred recaito is used in place of sofrito. Look for sazón with culantro and achiote (annatto), and find gandules with the canned beans.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• side dish
• Caribbean
• Puerto Rican
• rice
• vegetarian
• gluten-free
• stovetop