Mexican
Mexican Rice (Arroz Rojo)
Fresh tomato, onion, and garlic cloak delicately fried long-grain rice, yielding a brick-red Mexican classic with light, separate grains.
6 servings · 20 minutes prep · 35 minutes cook
Ingredients
Rice and vegetables
- 1½ cups, Uncooked.
- ¼ cup, Use a neutral high-heat oil such as avocado, sunflower, or safflower oil.
- 1 small carrot (about ⅓ cup diced), Peel and cut into ¼-inch dice.
- ½ cup, Keep frozen; do not thaw.
Tomato cooking liquid
- 2 medium Roma tomatoes (8 oz), Use ripe tomatoes; core and quarter them.
- ¼ medium white onion (2 oz), Roughly chopped.
- 2 medium cloves (⅕ oz), Peeled.
- 2 cups, Use unsalted broth so the seasoning remains controlled.
- 1¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, If using another brand of kosher salt, measure by weight when possible.
- 1 whole serrano chile, Leave whole for a gentle chile aroma.
- 1 small sprig, Leave the sprig whole so it can be removed after cooking.
- 2 tbsp, Use hot water only if the rice remains firm after the initial cooking time and the pan is dry.
Directions
Prepare the rice and tomato mixture
- Put the long grain white rice in a {{tool:fine-mesh-strainer}} and rinse under cool running water, stirring with your fingers, until the runoff is nearly clear, about 1 minute. Drain thoroughly for 10 minutes, then spread the rice on a {{tool:clean-kitchen-towel}} and blot away the surface moisture. The grains must be dry enough to fry rather than steam.
- Using a {{tool:chef-knife}} and {{tool:cutting-board}}, prepare the roma tomatoes, white onion, garlic cloves, and carrot as directed. Combine the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and ½ cup of the chicken stock in a {{tool:blender}}. Blend until completely smooth, about 45 seconds. The yield should be approximately 1½ cups of tomato mixture, although minor variation from the tomatoes is expected.
Fry the rice and tomato base
- Heat the neutral oil in a 3- to 4-quart {{tool:heavy-saucepan}} with a tight-fitting {{tool:lid}} over medium heat. Add the drained rice and cook, stirring and turning the grains frequently with a {{tool:wooden-spoon}}, until they look opaque, feel dry and loose, and several are pale golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Do not let the rice become deeply brown.
- Carefully pour in the tomato mixture; it will sputter. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently with the wooden spoon, until it deepens to brick red, no longer smells raw, and leaves the bottom of the pan briefly visible when stirred, 4 to 6 minutes. The rice should be evenly coated rather than swimming in thin purée.
Simmer and steam
- Stir in the remaining 1½ cups chicken stock, the kosher salt, and diced carrot. Add the whole serrano chile and cilantro sprig. Bring to a full simmer over medium-high heat, stirring once to free any grains from the bottom.
- As soon as the liquid boils, cover the pan with the lid and reduce the heat to its lowest setting. Cook without lifting the lid or stirring for 15 minutes. Scatter the frozen peas over the rice, immediately replace the lid, and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes.
- Check the rice at 18 minutes: the liquid should be fully absorbed, steam holes should mark the surface, and a grain from the center should be tender without a hard white core. If the rice is still firm but the pan is dry, sprinkle 2 tbsp hot water evenly over it, cover, and cook on low for 2 to 3 minutes more.
Rest and finish
- Remove the pan from the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the moisture redistributes and the grains finish setting. Remove and discard the serrano and cilantro sprig.
- Fluff the rice gently with a {{tool:fork}}, lifting from the bottom and separating the grains without mashing them. The finished rice should be dry, light, and distinct-grained, with no wet sauce remaining at the bottom. Serve hot.
