TEMPLE, Texas — In honor of Hispanic Heritage month, we are highlighting a Puerto Rican staple on most dinner tables that pair well with nearly any meal: arroz con gandules. Before we begin it is important to note that the following recipe is a family one passed down from my mother. The ingredients and measurements may be inconsistent with other recipes.
RECIPE
The cooking time for this recipe is roughly 50 minutes with 10 minutes of prep. This recipe also yields about 8 servings.
The ingredients:
-1 pinch of salt (to taste)
-1 tbs of caldo de pollo seasoning (chicken bouillon)
-1.5 tbs sofrito*
-1 can of gandules verdes (green pigeon peas)
-1 jamón packet (ham flavored concentrate)
-2 sazón packet
-3 cups of rice**
-3 to 5 olives (to taste)
-6 oz tomato sauce
-6 tbs of extra virgin olive oil***
*My mother makes sofrito by mixing red peppers, green pepper, red onion, cilantro and garlic.
**For this recipe, jasmine rice is specifically used but any rice will work.
***My mother and aunt recommend using extra virgin olive oil over other options because they believe it adds more fluff to the rice and heightens the quality after cooking.
It is also important to note that the pot used for this recipe and typically used for this recipe is a caldero.
Watch an extended version of this week's 'Morning Munchies' below!
DIRECTIONS
First, rinse and wash your rice with a strainer. Set it aside. Then put the caldero on the stove at medium high heat and let the six tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil heat up slightly.
Next is to choose your own adventure moment. You could choose to add meats like ham and bacon to the recipe or opt out of it. The specific version of the recipe used had no meat.
If you want to add meat, throw in your bacon or ham and fry it in the oil. Take out the meat and take off the caldero to cool off a little before putting in the rest of the ingredients (keep the stove on).
If you’re not adding meat, begin adding your ingredients slowly. First add your one and a half tablespoons of sofrito, six ounces of tomato sauce, two packets of sazón, one packet of jamón and a tablespoon of caldo de pollo. Mix all your ingredients and let it sizzle.
Next, add your three cups of washed rice into the pot and mix, coating all the grains of rice in your mixture. Then, add four cups of water, one can of drained pigeon peas and mix.
If you’re using bacon or ham, you can add that back to the pot.
Lower the heat to medium low and let the water boil. Eventually there will be barely any water left over the rice. Cover the rice for 30 minutes. Whatever you do, do not remove the lid!
After 30 minutes, open the lid and fluff your arroz con gandules!
If you’re cooking in a caldero, you’ll notice 'con-con'/'pegao' or ‘burnt’ rice all over the sides and bottom of the pot. Don’t worry you didn’t mess up. This is by design and delicious!
Enjoy!
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