For ages I have searched for a good Mexican rice recipe and I have tried and discarded many. My search ended with a Saveur magazine recipe. The staff of Saveur travels to many different countries and seeks out all kinds of wonderful people who share their cuisine with them. I have to admit that I have found more recipes that I love in Saveur than in any other food magazine. Saveur articles typically feature extended stories on the cultures and people who share their wonderful recipes. In this instance the dish was featured in a Quinceaneara feast (all over Latin America a girls 15th birthday is a major celebration). These are usually rustic dishes that don’t call for ingredients too difficult to find. So here is a really good Mexican-style rice recipe from Saveur.
Pulse in your food processor.
Cook rice with tomato puree.
Add broth and cook, undisturbed until liquid barely covers the rice. In this photo the rice is almost at that stage with just a few more minutes to go.
Sopa de Arroz
Serves 8
Adapted from Saveur magazine
Ingredients
2 cups long grain rice
About 3 small, ripe and juicy tomatoes – skin and seeds removed, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup onion – coarsely chopped
2 small or 1 large garlic clove
3 tablespoons canola oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mild chili powder – optional (I use Hatch mild chile powder from New Mexico. It doesn’t add any heat to the rice however it does give a nice color).
Preparation
Rinse rice well in a fine mesh colander until water runs clear. Drain well, set colander on paper towels to absorb excess water. Set aside
Place tomatoes, onion and garlic in a small food processor. Pulse until ingredients are pureed. You’ll want about 1 cup of tomato/onion/garlic puree. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large, wide heavy-bottomed pot that has a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. I have a Cuisinart 5.5 quart pot I use. It’s wide and not too deep. This is preferable to a narrow, deep pot as the rice has more surface area to cook. Once the oil is hot add the rice and cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the rice is lightly golden, about 5 minutes or so. Be sure to keep stirring and don’t leave the rice unattended, it may burn.
Remove the pot from the burner and add the tomato puree mixture. Turn the heat down to medium low. Place the rice back on the burner and continue to stir for about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and turn the heat up to high. Add salt (and chile powder if using). Give the rice one more stir and once the broth comes to a boil turn the heat down to medium – medium high (the broth should be bubbling). Cook the rice undisturbed and uncovered for about 7 minutes or until the liquid barely covers the rice and craters appear on the surface. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Set your timer for 20 minutes.
Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and leave undisturbed (do not open the lid) for at least 15 minutes. Take off the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
If you have leftovers, the rice freezes beautifully.