Arroz a la Mexicana

When it comes to Mexican cuisine, the rest of North America suffers from a very unfortunate condition - 'ignorancia'.

This condition manifests itself in its host through many symptoms; the primary one being the inexplicable tendency to believe that all Mexican food should be wrapped, folded, and/or covered in cheddar. Blame whoever/whatever you want, whether it's the fast food industry or a protectionist government. The point is, in Toronto alone, I've been to a few really good traditional Mexican spots. Why this hasn't really translated to the public psyche is beyond me. Anyway, I'm definitely no Francisco Madero, I'm just going to share a recipe.

My good friend's mom just got back from a Quinceañera in Tulancingo, and she brought this recipe for me. The traditional way to cook this is in a barro, but a heavy pot will do just fine.

 

Here's what you need:

- 1 1/2 cups of arroz (rinsed and cleaned)

- 3 or 4 seeded and diced tomatoes (keep some juice, or 800 ml can of diced is fine too)

- Cooking oil with a high smoke point, like canola (no extra virgin olive oil)

- 1 medium-sized cooking onion

- 2 cloves of garlic

- 1 cup of peas (or mixed veg)

- A sprig of fresh cilantro (if you love it)

- Salt, black pepper, and chili flakes (or chiles if you like it hotter)

* Put the rice into a large mixing bowl and cover it with near-boiling water for 10 minutes

* In a blender, puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro, and chiles 

* Drain the rice and add it directly to a pan on medium heat

* Add enough oil to bring it almost to the level of the rice - it looks like a ton but it will be drained

* Cook the rice until it's golden brown, stirring minimally to avoid burning

* Drain the oil, and add the rice, puree, and veggies to your trusty barro

* Add about a cup of water and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid is gone

The cure for ignorancia? An afternoon on Wikipedia and a trip to Mexico (Club Med is not Mexico). 

GG