Yum! Yellow Rice Again!
You make me crazy, Miss Daisy!
I am referring to, of course, the one and only Daisy Martinez, whose fabulous books read just like she was speaking directly to you, with all her jesting and enthusiasm. I fell in love with Yellow Rice as soon as I tasted it. This recipe is from her book (co-authored with Chris Styler) Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night – Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes. There are some ingredients you’ll need to prep ahead of time, such as Achiote Oil and Sofrito, and these recipes are also in the book – both are very easy. I will give you the recipes for them in a follow-up post. Here is a recipe for Daisy’s Yellow Rice for four people.
Daisy’s Yellow Rice
1/4 cup Achiote Oil
1/2 cup Sofrito
2 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsly chopped green olives with pimiento
1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1-1/2 cups long grain white rice (do not be tempted to use brown rice)
3-to-4 cups chicken broth
Heat the achiote oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven (enameled) over medium high heat. Have all your ingredients ready so the oil doesn’t get too hot.
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Stir in the sofrito and the alcaparrado and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the pot is sizzling. Season with the salt, pepper and cumin. Turn the heat up to high, stir in the rice, and cook until the rice is coated with the mixture in the pan and the grains begin to turn opaque, just a few minutes.
Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by about an inch (Daisy’s instructions) and toss in the bay leaf. Boil until the broth is down to the rice, give it a stir, then turn the heat to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes – do not stir or lift the lid while the rice is cooking.
Last night’s rice is shown served with elk hock pieces slow-cooked to unctuous perfection, surely the kind of thing a caring Abuela would serve to her loved ones!
