Jamaican
Jamaican Rice and Peas
Jamaican rice steamed with kidney beans, coconut milk, scallion, thyme, and Scotch bonnet.
8 servings · 20 minutes prep · 105 minutes cook
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried small red kidney beans, soaked for 8 hours and drained
- 6 cups water, divided
- 13 1/2 ounces unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
- 3 scallions, crushed
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs
- 8 whole allspice berries
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet chile
- 2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed until nearly clear and drained
Directions
Cook the Beans
- Put the soaked beans in a pot with 4 cups water. Boil vigorously for 10 minutes, then simmer partially covered for 45 to 60 minutes, until tender but intact. Drain, reserving 2 cups bean cooking liquid.
Season the Cooking Liquid
- Return the beans to the pot with the coconut milk, 1 1/2 cups reserved bean liquid, scallions, garlic, thyme, allspice, Scotch bonnet, and salt. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to season the beans and liquid; add a little remaining bean liquid if it reduces below the level of the beans. Taste the liquid before adding rice: it should taste fully seasoned and slightly saltier than the desired finished dish because the rice will mute and absorb the seasoning.
Cook, Steam, and Rest the Rice
- Bring to a boil and stir in the rice once. Boil uncovered until the liquid drops just below the rice surface, 5 to 7 minutes. Cover tightly, reduce to the lowest heat, and steam for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the scallions, thyme stems, allspice, garlic, and intact Scotch bonnet. Fluff gently with a fork.
