arroz con gandules

How To Make arroz con gandules

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  In a medium size caldero add the oil, tomato sauce, alcaparrado, sofrito and sazon. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes. Add all other ingredients, and enough water to cover the rice 1" above the rice line. Start with 1 teaspoon of salt stir and keep adding and mixing well until you are satisfied with the taste. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat until most of the water is absorbed. Once the water has been absorbed, stir gently from bottom to top - once or twice only, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 30 minutes or until the rice is tender. Stirring the rice after it has begun cooking may cause it go get sticky or "amogollao." Any rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot is called "pegao" and is crispy and tasty and a favorite of all true Puerto Ricans. However, not everyone is skilled is making pegao - it is an art. To make great pegao make sure to use plenty of oil. Cook for about 10 minutes longer so the pegao gets crispy and keep your eye on it. Each time you cook rice - check to see how long it takes to make pegao just the way your family likes it. Finally - if you want a lot of pegao - use a bigger caldero which, of course, will have a larger bottom surface
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  Sofrito 1 large yellow onion 1 pimiento (Cubanelle) or substitute with green bell pepper 1 red bell pepper or 1sm jar roasted red peppers 1 medium head of garlic (2 tbsp. minced garlic) 1 bunch of cilantro 12 ajíes dulces (hard to find and may skip) 6 leaves of recao - (Eryngium) (hard to find/skip) ¼ cup Spanish olives, pitted 1 tbsp cappers 2 tsps salt 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp crushed orégano ½ cup olive oil Wash, peel, seed and coarsley chop everything. Put in a blender and pureé. Store in a glass jar covered in the refrigerator for later use. Freeze it in ice-cube trays and dump the frozen cubes in a freezer bag. This will be fried in achiote oil or tocino as the first step in recipes. This recipe makes about 2 large ice-cube trays. Use about 3 cubes for rice or soup that will serve a family. Once you've made this easy recipe you will never go back to store bough sofrito. The aroma is simply intoxicating. . . .
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