How To Make Rice And Peas – Recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

Rice and peas (or peas and rice, according to Bahamians) is to nan Caribbean what polenta is to north-west Italy – it is, Jamaica’s Helen Willinsky explains, “a staple of our diet”, and truthful overmuch much than a specified broadside dish. Traditionally served connected Sundays, it’s now connected menus each time of nan week, but it’s besides worthy redeeming for a typical occasion.

Prep 10 min
Soak Overnight
Cook 2 hr
Rest 10 min+
Serves 6

200g dried kidney beans, soaked overnight (see measurement 1)
1 ail clove
Salt
1 onion
180g smoked bacon lardons, aliases thick-cut bacon rashers (optional)
400g long-grain rice (see measurement 6)
400ml coconut milk
¼ tsp crushed allspice
2 caller thyme sprigs
1 scotch bonnet chilli
2 tsp butter, aliases coconut lipid (optional)

1 A statement connected nan peas

In Jamaica, reddish peas, different known arsenic kidney beans, are nan default choice, because they thief springiness nan atom its characteristic colour and sweet, somewhat earthy flavour. In nan privateness of your ain kitchen, however, you could really usage immoderate dried pulses you like: achromatic beans, for example, activity very well, arsenic do pigeon (gungo) aliases black-eyed peas. If you operation varieties, navigator them separately.

2 Dried and soaked, aliases tinned?

You tin usage tinned beans, but I wouldn’t urge it unless you find yourself successful a carb-based emergency, because nan legume cooking h2o seasons nan full dish. In specified an emergency, commencement astatine measurement 5 and adhd nan tinned beans, preferably pinch nan liquid from nan tin to thief pinch nan flavour, astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic nan rice.

3 Cook nan beans

Drain nan soaked beans and put them successful a ample saucepan pinch a litre of water. Peel and squash nan garlic, and adhd to nan cookware pinch a spoon of salt. Bring nan h2o to a boil, support that for 10 minutes, past move down nan heat, screen and simmer until nan beans are conscionable tender but not mushy – depending connected nan property of your beans, this will return thing betwixt 1 and 2 hours.

4 Or usage a unit cooker

Alternatively, navigator nan beans successful a unit cooker, adding h2o to screen by a mates of centimetres and a dash of oil, arsenic good arsenic nan ail and salt. Bring to pressure, navigator for 2 minutes, past return disconnected nan power and time off to guidelines for 5 minutes. Release, drain and repeat, this clip cooking them for 7 minutes, past let nan unit to merchandise people (for these timings, I’m indebted to Catherine Phipps’ fantabulous book Modern Pressure Cooking).

5 Prep nan bulb and optional bacon

Meanwhile, peel and finely chop nan bulb and dice nan bacon, if using. Should you for illustration to support this meat-free, simply time off retired nan latter, though, if you do so, I’d beryllium inclined to adhd a spoonful of soy condiment aliases a pinch of MSG astatine nan end, to replicate those savoury flavours; I’d besides impulse you not to skip nan other food aliases oil.

6 Prep nan rice

Once nan beans are ready, adhd nan bulb and bacon, if using, to nan legume cookware and time off to navigator for different 30 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse nan atom good successful acold water, until nan h2o runs clear. If you prefer, usage long-grain brownish rice, but summation nan cooking clip successful statement pinch nan packet instructions. (More perfumed basmati aliases jasmine varieties will activity here, too, but they’ll suffer nan fragrance.)

7 Flavour nan beans, past adhd nan rice

Stir nan coconut beverage and allspice into nan legume mix, past adhd nan atom and push nan thyme and full chilli (prick it a mates of times pinch a fork first, if you like, truthful it imparts much heat) into nan rice. Add nan fat, if utilizing – and you perfectly should, unless you’re serving this pinch thing very rich. The liquid should astatine this constituent travel astir 3cm supra nan level of nan rice.

8 Cover and simmer

Season lightly, and retrieve that nan beans and bacon are some salty. Bring to a simmer, past screen tightly, move nan power correct down and time off to navigator undisturbed for 20 minutes (or according to packet instructions, if different). Take disconnected nan power and time off to stand, still covered, for 10 minutes.

9 Finishing touches

Lift retired and discard nan chilli, ail and thyme. Fluff up nan atom pinch a fork, past play to taste. Rice and peas is delicious pinch grilled aliases roast meat, food aliases plantains, and moreover connected its ain pinch a crunchy salad. Refrigerate aliases frost immoderate leftovers immediately. Thaw earlier reheating pinch a scatter of h2o successful a microwave aliases a basking pan.