Yellow Rice – Arroz Amarillo
Yellow Rice – Arroz Amarillo
Recipe Courtesy of Daisy Martinez
Yields 6-8 servings
Good to serve with Fillet a La Veracruzana
1/2 cup Achiote Oil (recipe follows)
1/2 cup Sofrito (recipe follows)
1/2 cup alcaparrado (marinated olives, capers and pimentos, found in jars in the international foods aisle) or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
2 to 3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 cups long grain white rice
4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned, plus additional if needed
Heat the achiote oil in a heavy, 4- to 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the sofrito and cook until most of the water is evaporated. Add the alcaparrado or olives, salt, cumin, pepper, and bay leaves; stir to combine. When the mixture is bubbling, add the rice, stirring to coat. Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Bring to a boil and reduce the liquid until the broth reaches the level of the rice. When the broth and rice are level, stir the rice once, reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 20 minutes, without opening the pot or stirring. After 20 minutes, gently fluff the rice up by scooping the rice from the bottom to the top. Serve hot.
Achiote Oil
Yields 1 cup
1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until the seeds start to give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don’t overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil a nasty green. Once they’re sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let it stand until the sizzling stops. Strain as much of the oil as you are going to use right away; store the rest for up to 4 days at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Sofrito
Yields 4 cups
2 medium Spanish onions, cut into large chunks
3 to 4 Italian frying peppers or cubanelle peppers, cut into large chunks
16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large bunch cilantro, washed
4 leaves of cilantro
3 to 4 ripe plum tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded and cut into large chunks
Add the onion and cubanelle or Italian peppers into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth. Sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It also freezes beautifully.
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