Arroz con Gandules
Rice and pigeon peas cooked together in a caldero with achiote oil and sofrito until a prized, deliberately crisp crust, the pegao, forms at the bottom. A genuine three-way fusion of Taino rice-adjacent staples, Spanish colonial rice cookery, and gandules brought via the African diaspora and Spanish trade, widely considered Puerto Rico's unofficial national dish; real Puerto Rican sofrito, built on recao and aji dulce, is distinct from Spanish or Cuban versions that lean more on tomato and bell pepper.
Meat-optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups medium-grain rice
- 1 can (15 oz) pigeon peas (gandules), drained
- 4 oz salt pork or diced ham (or bacon)
- 3 tbsp sofrito (recao, cilantro, aji dulce, onion, garlic, cubanelle pepper, blended)
- 2 tbsp achiote (annatto) oil
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 10 pimento-stuffed green olives
- 1 packet sazon, or 1 tsp achiote powder plus cumin
- 2.5 cups water or chicken stock
- Salt, to taste
Steps
- Heat the achiote oil in a caldero and saute the salt pork or ham until rendered.
- Add the sofrito and saute 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, sazon, and olives, and cook 2 minutes.
- Add the pigeon peas and stir to coat in the sauce.
- Add the rice and stir to coat every grain.
- Add the water or stock, bring to a boil, and taste and adjust salt.
- Once the liquid reduces to the level of the rice, cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat, and cook 20-25 minutes undisturbed.
- Turn off the heat and let rest covered 10 minutes before fluffing, scraping up the pegao at the bottom to serve alongside.