spring hill ranch's poor man's rice (raz gaxuxua)

Recipe by
Wiley P
Sierra Vista, AZ

We lived in northern Nevada for a long time, which means Basque country. That equates to wonderful, wonderful people and hearty rustic and delicious foods! One of my favorite dishes from the mountains between France and Spain is raz gaxuxa, which is pronounced “rahs ga-choo'-cha” and translates to poor man's rice. As a risotto-style dish, this can require some tending to the rice. But is it easy? Absolutely. And is it delicious? Insanely! I mean, after all...it's Basque food!

yield 4 serving(s)
prep time 30 Min
cook time 50 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For spring hill ranch's poor man's rice (raz gaxuxua)

  • 2 Tbsp
    extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 lg
    Apanish (or yellow) onions
  • 2 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 2 lg
    boneless skinless chicken breast halves, chopped
  • 5 - 8 oz
    Spanish chorizo*
  • 5 oz
    bayonne ham or ventrèche**, chopped
  • 1 md
    red bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 md
    green bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 1/2 c
    un-rinsed long grain rice
  • 1 tsp
    freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp
    ground espelette pepper***
  • 4 c
    low sodium chicken stock, divided
  • 2 lg
    eggs, hard-boiled, peeled, and finely chopped
  • 1/2 c
    pimento-stuffed green olives, optional

How To Make spring hill ranch's poor man's rice (raz gaxuxua)

  • 1
    Notes: *Do not use Mexican chorizo, as it is a totally different thing. You can substitute Portuguese chorizo or linguiça. **You can substitute Italian pancetta. ***You can substitute 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika plus 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.
  • Step 1
    2
    In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent and slightly golden.
  • Step 2
    3
    Add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, until cooked on the outside.
  • Step 3
    4
    Stir in the chorizo and ventrèche and cook for 5 minutes, until sizzling and fragrant.
  • Step 4
    5
    Stir in the bell peppers and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Step 5
    6
    Stir in the rice, black pepper, and espelette pepper. Toast the rice for 3 to 4 minutes, just until the rice becomes translucent.
  • Step 6
(I know someone who is going to check to see if I simply reversed the image here! You know who you are!)
  ;-)
    7
    Pour in half of the chicken stock; it should cover all the rice. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is almost fully absorbed. A ladle or so at a time, add more stock, stirring occasionally and wait until the liquid in the pan is just about fully absorbed before adding the next ladle. Continue until the rice is fully cooked and the liquid is almost all absorbed (not completely, but almost).
  • Step 8
Smells great and almost ready to eat!
    8
    Stir the hard-cooked eggs into the rice. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes more, until all the liquid is absorbed. If you lean toward thew Spanish side of the Basque country, stir in the green olives. Check for seasoning and adjust if needed. Serve immediately.

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