Name: Arroz con Gandules
Cook time: P0Y0M0DT0H35M0.000S
Total time: P0Y0M0DT1H0M0.000S
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: caribbean
Ingredients: 1 cup (about 5 ounces) frozen gandules (pigeon peas); Kosher salt; 2 tablespoons Achiote Oil, recipe follows; 1 cup (about 4 ounces) diced ham steak; 1/2 cup Sofrito (Recaíto), recipe follows (see Cook’s Note); 2 tablespoons tomato paste; 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed and drained; 1/2 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, sliced; 2 teaspoons Sazón, recipe follows; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 cup neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil; 1/4 cup achiote (annatto seeds); 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and coarsely chopped; 2 cups (about 4 1/2 ounces) ajicitos (sweet peppers), stemmed, halved and seeded; 2 large green bell peppers, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped; 1/2 cup (about 16) garlic cloves, peeled; 1 bunch (about 4 ounces) cilantro (including stems), coarsely chopped; 1 bunch (about 2 ounces) culantro leaves (recao), coarsely chopped; 1 tablespoon ground achiote (annatto); 1 tablespoon garlic powder; 2 teaspoons granulated onion; 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Directions

Special equipment:

a medium Dutch oven or cast-aluminum caldero

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the frozen gandules and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer uncovered until the pigeon peas are just tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside.
Add the Achiote Oil to a medium Dutch oven or cast-aluminum caldero and place over medium heat. Add the ham and cook until slightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sofrito and tomato paste and cook until fragrant and the sofrito has lost some of its bright color, about 2 minutes. Add the drained rice and stir to lightly toast for a minute. Add 2 cups of water, the gandules and remaining cooking liquid, the olives, Sazón, 1 tablespoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Stir once or twice just to combine then bring to a boil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the top of the rice is clearly visible, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover the pan tightly with a lid or aluminum foil. Cook until the remaining liquid is absorbed and all the rice is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Once the rice is cooked, fluff gently with a large fork or spoon and serve.

Achiote Oil

Combine the neutral oil and achiote in a small saucepan. Continuously stir over medium-low heat until the oil turns a bright orange-red color, 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully strain out the seeds. Use immediately or cool and refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks.

Sofrito (Recaíto)

Yield: about 4 cups

Combine about half of the onions, ajicitos, bell peppers, garlic cloves, cilantro and culantro in a food processor and process until well combined and mostly smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer the sofrito to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining half of the ingredients. Stir both batches together until combined.
Use the sofrito immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also pour it into ice cube trays and pop them in the freezer until solid; transfer the frozen cubes to a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.

Sazón

Whisk the achiote, garlic powder, granulated onion, and cumin together in a small bowl until combined. The blend can be stored in an airtight container in cool dark place for 4 to 6 months.

Cook’s Note

While fresh homemade sofrito is preferable, it's also available at many grocery stores. Look for it in jars or in the refrigerated or frozen section in tubs.