Recipe – Puerto Rican Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Arroz Con Gandules
*From http://www.hechoenpuertorico.org/comida/gandules.html

2 cups long or short grain rice (rinsed)
3 1/2 cups of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of chorizo (sliced bite size)*
2 Tablespoons of sofrito
16 ounce can of gandules (pigeon peas)
2 tablespoons of alcaparrado without liquid
one packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons of oil
Salt to taste

* Chorizo can be substituted with tocino (salt fatback crackling’s) and jamón de cocinar (smoked cooking ham). If you are going to use the tocino be sure not to use to much salt to the rice because the tocino is salty.

In a dutch oven pot with lid fry the chorizo in oil. Add the tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon to the pot and stir together. Cook at medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients except the salt, pore the boiling water into the pot so the rice is submerge one inch below the water. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Don’t cover yet, let the rice absorb the water. Once absorbed stir gently from bottom to top, cover and turn the heat down to low. Stirring once in between cook for 25 to 30 minutes or until the rice is tender.

Serves 3 to 4