Recipe: Arroz Con Gandules

Arroz Con Gandules

2 cups short grain rice (rinsed) - long grain will work too
3 cups of hot water - appx.
1/2 cup ready made sofrito
16 ounce can of gandules (cooked green pigeon peas)
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado (cappers and olives mixed together - if not available improvise)
1 packet of Sazon with achiote - optional
1 can tomato sauce
3 tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste - only use if your sofrito does not have pepper.

In a medium size pot add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water so the rice is submerged one inch below the liquid. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt, stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Stirring the rice after it has begun cooking may cause it go get sticky.

Any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot is called "pegao" and is crispy and tasty and a favorite of all true Puerto Ricans. However, not everyone is skilled is making pegao - it is an art. To make great pegao make sure to use plenty of oil. Cook for about 15 minutes longer so the pegao gets crispy. Each time you cook rice - check to see how long it takes to make pegao just the way your family likes it. Finally - if you want a lot of pegao - use a bigger caldero which, of course, will have a larger bottom surface.