Peruvian Rice Recipes

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat with enough oil to coat the bottom. Brown chicken in the hot oil on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes total. Remove chicken onto a plate.
• Pour more oil into the pan and add onion; saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and saute, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro, chile paste, salt, and pepper and saute until cilantro turns dark green, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and deglaze, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a light simmer; let simmer for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer mixture carefully to an electric blender and puree.
• Heat more oil in the same pan over medium-high heat; saute bell pepper until soft, about 5 minutes. Return cilantro mixture to the pan and add chicken. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and juices run clear, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken from the pan. Add water and rice, adding more water if it doesn't look like enough. Bring to a boil; place a lid on the pan, reduce heat to low, and cook until all liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 20 to 40 minutes. Stir in peas and carrots and chicken and warm through, 5 to 10 minutes.

Steps:

• Place the chicken into a large saucepan and fill with enough water to cover, about 3 cups. Bring to a boil and cook for about fifteen minutes, or until chicken is done. Dice chicken, and reserve cooking liquid.
• In a food processor or blender, puree cilantro with 1/2 cup water.
• Heat oil in a saucepan and cook garlic until lightly browned. Pour in 2 cups of the cooking liquid and stir in the cilantro puree, diced chicken, carrots, peas, cumin and rice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then cover; cook on low heat until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring lentils, 5 cups water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender, 12 to 25 minutes (depending on age of lentils). Drain, then transfer to a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, cook 1 teaspoon garlic in 1tablespoon oil in another heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add remaining 2 1/4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil, then cook, covered, over low heat 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, 10 minutes. Stir rice from top to bottom with a rubber spatula, then stir into lentils.
• While rice stands, sautéonion and remaining teaspoon garlic in 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until onion is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in chile paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir onion mixture into rice mixture.
• Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in skillet over medium heat until hot. Add rice mixture and fry, gently flattening with a spatula, until a golden-brown crust forms on underside, about 3 minutes. Stir rice and fry, flattening it, until a crust forms on underside again, about 3 minutes more. Repeat frying and stirring until bits of crust are dispersed throughout, about 9 minutes more (about 15 minutes total frying time).
• What to drink:
• Concha y Toro Terrunyo Casablanca Valley Sauvignon Blanc '07

Steps:

• Wash and drain rice.
• Saute garlic in oil for a minute or two.
• Add water, lemon juice and salt.
• Bring to a boil.
• Gradually add rice.
• Cover and simmer 20-30 minutes.