There are a few tricks to mastering rice the way it is done in Mexico. You will get well acquainted with them when preparing this very tasty Poblano Chile Green Rice.
In many cultures, you just boil it. Granted, just boiled is easier and faster, but you will be missing out on extra flavor layers afforded by frying the rice first.
In Mexico there is a whole process to make it nice and fluffy. Soak it, then rinse it. Next you fry and add the liquid as the last step of the process.
There are also proportions to watch; for every 1 cup of rice you must use 2 cups of liquid. Also, once you pour the liquid, cover the pot and resist the temptation of peeking every 5 minutes to check on it. And once you pour the liquid, do not stir.
This Poblano Chile Green Rice can easily be adapted to become a vegan dish also by skipping the consomme (use just water instead) and the cheese.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of white, long-grain rice
- 4 large Poblano chiles
- 1/2 half onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup of shredded Manchego or Pepper Jack cheese
- 2 cups of homemade or commercial beef or chicken consomee
- 1/2 cup of canned corn kernels (not sweet, optional; I skipped it)
- 1 fresh twig of fresh epazote (optional)
- 2 TBSP. olive oil to fry the rice
Instructions
- Soak the rice in water for half an hour.
- Blister the poblanos’ skin over direct heat on stove top, turning often to achieve an even blistering.
- You can also heat a cast iron skillet/griddle and blister them that way. Use tongs to turn them around. Do not let the fleshy portions of the chile burn; you just want to blister the thin layer or skin that covers the chile.
- Let the chiles sweat in a plastic bag for half an hour and peel them. Remove stalk, seeds and veins, using latex gloves. Rinse them. This can be done in advance and you can store the prepped chiles in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- In the blender process the onion, garlic cloves, chiles poblanos and the consomme.
- Remove rice from soaking water, wash it under running water until it comes out clear. Let the rice sit in a strainer/colander for 5 minutes to drain excess water.
- Fry rice in a deep pot stirring frequently, until golden. More than looking for a change in the rice color, listen to it. Just as the color changes to a rich golden hue, the sound made by the rice as you stir it in the pot will be different. It will also become transparent-ish.
- Pour sauce over rice from blender, add the corn and the epazote twig.
- Do not stir. Once the sauce boils, lower heat to low, cover pot and let it cook undisturbed for 20 minutes until all liquid has evaporated. Turn heat off. Let it sit for 15 more minutes, without uncovering.
- Once you’re ready to serve, fluff up the rice with a fork, top with cheese and enjoy as a side dish.
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