Arroz Con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas)

Submitted by threeovens

"This recipe starts with fresh pigeon peas and I am translating it from Spanish. It comes from an old cookbook, originally published in 1954 called "Cocina Criolla" by Carmen Aboy Valldejuli who was born in 1912. So I suppose she would know Puerto Rican cooking if anyone does!"

 

• Ready In: 1hr 15mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• Pigeon Peas

• 1 lb pigeon peas, picked over and rinsed clean (fresh gandules)
• 10 cups water, divided
• 4 teaspoons kosher salt

• Sofrito

• 1⁄2 ounce bacon, minced
• 1 ounce ham, minced
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 aji bell peppers, seeded and minced (small sweet pepper that resembles an habanero)
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and minced
• 1 medium tomatoes, minced
• 3 stems culantro, minced
• 3 fresh cilantro stems, minced

• Additional ingredients

• 3 tablespoons achiote oil (Achiote Oil)
• 1⁄4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 pimento stuffed olives
• 1⁄2 teaspoon capers

• Rice

• 2 1⁄4 cups long grain white rice

directions

1. Soak pigeon peas overnight in 6 cups of water; drain and discard water.
2. In a large, covered pot, combine peas with 4 cups water and bring to a boil over high heat; cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook 30 minutes.
3. Season with salt and cook 15 minutes more; drain, reserving 3 cups of the cooking liquid (you may need to add more water to end up with the 3 cups).
4. Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, lightly brown the bacon and ham; add in the remaining sofrito ingredients and saute, over low heat until all the ingredients are tender and the tomatoes break down.
5. Stir in the additional ingredients and combine well; stir in the peas and rice.
6. Add the 3 cups of reserved cooking liquid and let cook, uncovered, until almost dry (it will look like little volcanos are erupting); stir up the rice from the bottom.
7. Cover and turn the heat down to the lowest setting and let cook 30 minutes, turning the rice, from the bottom, once halfway through cooking.
8. NOTE: This is how the dish is supposed to be cooked. I prefer to add the olives after the last turning of the rice for a "cleaner" flavor.