Puerto Rico Style Pigeon Pea Rice

From Tyler Florence's cookbook, Eat This Book, a yummy recipe that I have made vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock. Enjoy!

• Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1  lb  pigeon peas, picked through, rinsed
• 2  bay leaves
•  kosher salt
•  fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil (or canola oil)
• 1  medium onion, diced
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  green bell pepper, cored, seeded, diced
• 1  cubanelle green pepper, cored, seeded, diced (or use Italian green pepper)
• 1⁄2 cup  vegetable stock (original recipe uses chicken stock)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (use more or less to heat level desired)
• 2  cups long grain rice (preferably brown rice)
• 1⁄2 lime, juice of

Directions

1. Put the pigeon peas and bay leaves in a large pot. Cover with 3 quarts cold water and put over high heat. Cover, cook about 1 1/2 hours until tender. Halfway through, season with salt and pepper(this gives beans time to soften so that seasoning can penetrate). Check water periodically and add more water if necessary to keep beans covered. Drain, reserving 4 cups of the cooking liquid.
2. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Coat a large Dutch oven or other ovenproof pot with the oil over medium heat. When oil begins to smoke, add onion, garlic and peppers and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes, or until vegetables are softened but not browned. Pour in the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until liquid has evaporated.
3. Stir in the cumin, coriander and cayenne. Stir in the rice and the cooked pigeon peas along with the reserved 4 cups of cooking liquid.
4. Add the lime juice and salt to tast and stir everything together.
5. Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid absorbed.
6. Enjoy!