Name: Hot Rice
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: MidwestAmericanUS & Canada
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , divided; 2 red bell peppers , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 1/4 teaspoons table salt , divided; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 tablespoon paprika; 1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes; 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice , rinsed; 2 tablespoons jarred hot cherry peppers , stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine

Why This Recipe Works

By adding the raw rice to a savory mixture of butter, broth, and tomato, we cooked the rice and flavored it at the same time. The rice soaked up the spicy liquid (powered by pepper flakes and paprika) while thickening the mixture along the way. A few more tablespoons of butter stirred in at the end gave a luxurious and creamy texture to the fully cooked hot rice, and finishing with chopped cherry peppers packed a last bit of spicy punch.

Before You Begin

One 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes will contain more than enough for this recipe. Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs almost clear, about 1½ minutes, stirring the rice with your hand every so often. You can substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar, if desired. For a spicier dish, add extra chopped cherry peppers to your hot rice.

Instructions

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add bell peppers, onion, and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.

Stir in sugar, paprika, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth, tomatoes, rice, and remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and liquid is mostly absorbed, 13 to 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Stir in cherry peppers and remaining 3 tablespoons butter until combined. Serve.