Arroz con Gandulez (Rice with pigeon peas)

 

 

From all the rice recipes this one is my very own favorite. Not just because I'm Puertorican but it is 

delicious especially when accompanied with some roasted pork and a pastel de guineo on the side it is truly a very flavorful rice dish. There are so many variations and everyone makes it different nerveless is always great no matter who cooked it.

 

 

2 cups long or short grain rice (rinsed)

3 1/2 cups of boiling water (use ½ water ½ chicken broth for more flavor)

1 1/2 cups of chorizo (sliced bite size)* Or some chunks of fresh seasoned pork

2 Tablespoons of sofrito**

1 pound of gandules (pigeon peas) (fresh is best,frozen is ok too)

1 tablespoon of alcaparrado  (capers) without liquid

 

1 ounce Jamon de cocinar (Cooking ham or smoked ham)

1 one packet of Sazon with achiote

4 ounces of tomato sauce

2 Tablespoons of oil

Salt to taste

* Chorizo can be substituted with tocino (salt fatback crackling's) and jamón de cocinar (smoked cooking ham) or fresh pork your choice.  If you are going to use the tocino be sure not to use too much salt to the rice because the tocino is salty. Always taste it.

Sofrito**: 3 cloves of garlic, 1/2 Green Banana or Bell pepper (chopped in fine pieces), 1 teaspoonfull oregano, 3 Culantro leaves (often called spiny cilantro)  (chopped), 1 medium onion (chopped), and 2-3 Aji dulce (sweet peppers). You could use the sofrito in a jar if that is all you have. The green bannana give it that extra criollo flavor.

In a dutch oven pot with lid fry the Tocino (porkfat) or Chorizo in oil or fresh pork. Add the tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon to the pot and stir together. Cook at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the salt, pour the boiling water into the pot so the rice is submerged one inch below the water. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Don’t cover yet, let the rice absorb most of the water. Once absorbed stir gently from bottom to top, cover and turn the heat down to low. Stirring once in between, cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Cover the Arroz con Gandules with Banana leaves while cooking for that Caribbean flavor!

Serves 3 to 4 you could serve with yucca con mojo and or roasted pork on the side Mmm.