Name: Jamaican Rice and Peas
Total time: 10 h 15 min
Cuisine: CaribbeanLatin America & Caribbean
Ingredients: 1 cup dried red kidney beans , picked over and rinsed; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk; 10 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 scallions , sliced thin; 4 garlic cloves , chopped coarse; 1 Scotch bonnet chile; 2 teaspoons table salt; ½ teaspoon pepper; ¼ teaspoon whole allspice berries; 2 cups long-grain white rice , rinsed; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Why This Recipe Works

Rice and peas is so foundational in Jamaican cooking that it has been called the nation's “coat of arms.” Brought to Jamaica by enslaved West Africans who were skilled at growing and cooking rice and beans, the dish was traditionally made on Sundays, the only day free from plantation labor. Now, rice and peas—which features fluffy white rice and creamy red kidney beans (Jamaicans call them peas) enriched with coconut milk and seasoned with scallions, garlic, a Scotch bonnet chile, thyme, and pimento (allspice)—is made any day in Jamaican homes and restaurants. For our version, we remained faithful to traditional recipes, soaking dried red kidney beans for at least 8 hours before simmering them until they were tender in just enough chicken broth and coconut milk to leave the right amount of liquid to cook the rice. Experienced cooks often eyeball the amount of liquid needed for the rice, but to ensure that our recipe resulted in the same ratio every time, we strained the beans over a measuring cup to reach a precise 3½ cups (adding water as necessary), just enough for fluffy, fully tender rice. Placing a sheet of aluminum foil under the saucepan lid created a tight seal, guarding against excess evaporation that might have left us with too little liquid to fully hydrate the rice.

Before You Begin

If you can't find a Scotch bonnet chile, you can substitute a habanero. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. Once the saucepan is covered in step 4, do not uncover it until after the 10-minute rest.

Instructions

Combine 1 quart cold water and beans in bowl and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Drain beans and transfer to large saucepan. Add broth, coconut milk, thyme sprigs, scallions, garlic, Scotch bonnet, salt, pepper, and allspice berries. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low; and simmer until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Drain bean mixture in fine-mesh strainer set over 8-cup liquid measuring cup or large bowl. Discard thyme sprigs and Scotch bonnet. Return bean mixture to saucepan along with 3½ cups bean cooking liquid (add water to compensate if necessary; reserve any excess for another use or discard).

Stir rice and butter into bean mixture. Bring to boil over high heat. Once boiling, stir and place large sheet of aluminum foil over saucepan and cover tightly with lid. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer rice and bean mixture to shallow serving bowl. Fluff rice with fork and serve.