Arroz con Gandules

Rice with pigeon peas cooked in sofrito.

Ingredients

• 3 cups Rice
• 2 cups Pigeon peas
• ½ cup Sofrito
• 150 g Salt pork
• ½ cup Tomato sauce
• ¼ cup Olives
• 3 tbsp Achiote oil
• 2 Bay leaves
• 2 tsp Salt
• 4 cups Water

Method

1. Render the pork — Fry the diced salt pork until browned and the fat runs.
2. Add sofrito — Cook the sofrito in the fat for 5 minutes until fragrant.
3. Season — Add the tomato sauce, achiote oil, olives and bay.
4. Add peas and rice — Stir in the pigeon peas and rice until every grain is coated and orange.
5. Cook — Add water, boil until it reduces to the level of the rice, then cover and steam 25 minutes on low.
6. Build the pegao — Do not stir once covered — the toasted crust at the bottom is the prize.
7. Arroz con Gandules is ready — Fluff from the top and scrape up the crust.

More Puerto Rico recipes

• Mofongo
• Pernil