I love Caribbean food. My new favorite obsession is The Cooking Channel. It's what Food Network used to be, you know, cooking shows. One episode the host made rice and peas, which is just the Caribbean way of saying rice and beans. Instead of using water for the rice you use coconut milk. The recipe actually tells you how to milk your own coconut (heh heh milk a coconut)... needless to say I did not follow those directions. The addition of allspice and I threw in a little clove makes this so addictive.
http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/rice-and-peas-recipe/index.html
Ingredients
- 1 fresh coconut
- 3 1/3 cups warm water, plus more as needed
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 onion, coarsely chopped
- 1 hot red chile, preferably Scotch Bonnet, whole and undamaged
- 1 green onion, bruised with a rolling pin
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 7 allspice berries
- 2 fresh thyme sprigs
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces Basmati rice
Directions
First you will need to break into your coconut. Choose one of the 3 eyes that you are most likely to be able to puncture. Cook's Note: Youll see them at one end. Only one will work.
Try to penetrate the eye with a strong, sharp-tipped knife. If the hole doesnt give, try the others. Pour the coconut water out through its eye and set it aside in a small bowl. Smash the coconut open, and, using a small, sharp knife, lever the coconut flesh away from the shell. Cook's Note: Doing this outside against some concrete is a good idea.
Grate the coconut into a bowl. Pour 2 3/4 cups water over the shreds, and stir. Strain the coconut flesh from the water in fistfuls, and squeeze out all its juices over the bowl. Place the squeezed clumps of grated coconut into a sieve, transfer the coconut water to a saucepan and tip the squeezed coconut back into the bowl. Cover the coconut shreds with the remaining clean water and, once again, lift the coconut flesh up from the water in fistfuls and squeeze out all its juices. Transfer the prepared coconut water to the saucepan, and discard the squeezed-out flesh.
If desired, incorporate the fresh coconut water to the saucepan at this stage. Then, add the black beans, onion, chile, green onion, garlic, allspice berries, thyme, butter, and adjust their seasonings with salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, cover, and then turn down the heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain the rice, and then add the rice to the saucepan with the reserved prepared coconut water or base in the saucepan. You may need to add some additional water to bring the liquid about 1-inch above the level of the rice. Season the cooking liquid with salt, and black pepper, bring it to a boil, and then cover the rice immediately. Turn the heat down to its lowest level, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook's Note: Don't stir it and don't peek inside!
Once the rice is tender, fish out the chile, green onion, and thyme sprigs, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.
Try to penetrate the eye with a strong, sharp-tipped knife. If the hole doesnt give, try the others. Pour the coconut water out through its eye and set it aside in a small bowl. Smash the coconut open, and, using a small, sharp knife, lever the coconut flesh away from the shell. Cook's Note: Doing this outside against some concrete is a good idea.
Grate the coconut into a bowl. Pour 2 3/4 cups water over the shreds, and stir. Strain the coconut flesh from the water in fistfuls, and squeeze out all its juices over the bowl. Place the squeezed clumps of grated coconut into a sieve, transfer the coconut water to a saucepan and tip the squeezed coconut back into the bowl. Cover the coconut shreds with the remaining clean water and, once again, lift the coconut flesh up from the water in fistfuls and squeeze out all its juices. Transfer the prepared coconut water to the saucepan, and discard the squeezed-out flesh.
If desired, incorporate the fresh coconut water to the saucepan at this stage. Then, add the black beans, onion, chile, green onion, garlic, allspice berries, thyme, butter, and adjust their seasonings with salt, and black pepper. Bring everything to a boil, cover, and then turn down the heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain the rice, and then add the rice to the saucepan with the reserved prepared coconut water or base in the saucepan. You may need to add some additional water to bring the liquid about 1-inch above the level of the rice. Season the cooking liquid with salt, and black pepper, bring it to a boil, and then cover the rice immediately. Turn the heat down to its lowest level, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Cook's Note: Don't stir it and don't peek inside!
Once the rice is tender, fish out the chile, green onion, and thyme sprigs, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve immediately.
Sounds yummy. I have made something similar with coconut milk and rice, but it didn't have so many spices.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try this one sometime.