Arroz con Gandules

Instructions

1

In a medium-sized pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil. Once hot and shimmering, add the 1/2 cup smoked ham cubes and cook until crisp around the edges, about 7-10 minutes, stirring often.
2

Next, add the ¼ cup fresh sofrito, 2 tablespoons diced pimento peppers, 2 tablespoons capers, 2 teaspoons sazón spice blend, 1 teaspoon adobo spice blend, 1 crumbled chicken bouillon cube, and 1 large bay leaf. Stir well to combine everything and cook until the sofrito is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
3

Add the drained pigeon peas and stir. Cook the peas with the ham and sofrito mixture for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, add 1 cup rinsed and drained rice, stirring to toast the rice and make sure all the grains are evenly coated with the seasoned pea mixture for another 5 minutes.
4

Once the rice is toasted, add the water and the reserved pigeon pea liquid. Taste and adjust seasoning with kosher salt and black pepper to your liking.
5

When the rice and liquid are both rapidly boiling and the water has mostly evaporated (you should see little bubble pockets in the pot), turn the heat down to low, stir the rice to fold it over on itself, cover the rice with the banana leaf, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let the rice steam for 20 minutes.
6

Once your timer is done, fluff the rice using a fork and serve immediately with sliced ripe avocado and tostones (twice-fried plantains).
7

Using dry or canned pigeon peas for the recipe is definitely personal preference. During the holiday season when making this in large batches, I prefer using dry pigeon peas that get sent to me from my family back home in Puerto Rico. To prep those, I pressure cook them with fresh sofrito, a smoked ham hock, and other aromatics until they’re tender and store them in plastic deli containers and freeze until I’m ready to cook with them. At that point, I portion what I need and then continue the recipe. Canned pigeon peas are just as good and definitely save on time in the kitchen!
8

Depending on which brand of sazón or adobo spice blends you use, the saltiness will vary. Keep that in mind while making this recipe and adjust accordingly to your liking to avoid oversalting the rice. I prefer to make my blends at home to control the salt level, so if using store-bought blends, start with 1 teaspoon and work from there.
9

Frozen banana leaves can be found in most international grocery stores and I always keep them on hand for steaming rice and proteins. Simply cut out a portion of the leaf that will fit into the pot you’re using by tracing the edge of the pot lid on the leaf to get the right size.

Conseils du Chef

If wanting to make pegao, which is the often coveted scorched rice at the bottom of the pot, let the rice continue to cook for another 15-20 minutes, carefully adjusting the heat as needed to avoid burning the rice. It’s easier to make this using a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot instead of nonstick pots. When serving pegao, it’s traditionally served on the side to accompany the rice itself.

Ingrédients

Instructions

Conseils du Chef