Green Poblano Rice Arroz Verde Al Poblano Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse the rice a few times, until the water that drains from it runs almost completely clear. Set aside to drain well. Put the onion, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, parsley and salt in a food processor with a splash of the measured stock or water if needed, to help the blades catch the ingredients and break them down. Purée until smooth.
• Heat oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, then add the rice and stir well. When the grains are dry and toasted, and some are starting to color, about 5 to 10 minutes, add the mixture from the blender along with the remaining stock or water.
• When the liquid comes to a rolling boil, give it a good stir, scraping at the bottom of the pot. Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 15 minutes before opening the lid. The green purée will have settled on the top of the rice, so gently mix it in as you stir and aerate the rice with a spatula. Taste, season with salt and serve with a wedge of lime.

Steps:

• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place poblano peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard skins.
• Combine 4 poblano peppers, 1 cup chicken broth, onion, and garlic in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the rice, stirring continuously, until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add poblano chile mixture and remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, epazote, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until rice is soft and all the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Slice remaining poblano chile and serve as a garnish with the rice.

Steps:

• The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.
• The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
• Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.
• Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.
• Variations and improvisations: An obvious variation is to use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.