BAHAMIAN PEAS N’ RICE
Peas and rice is a staple and main stay in every Bahamian home, a delectable and mouth-watering part of almost every meal. To prepare a meal especially on Sunday or Christmas without a pot of Peas N’ Rice is like breaking one of the commandments. So whatever you do please do not forget the Peas N’ Rice. Auntie Rie and mama would take turns each Sunday making the pot of rice and I seldom could tell who made it from one Sunday to the next.
A word of warning: over indulgence in this delicacy will result in what we call here in the islands a ‘peas n’rice’ shape (very voluptuous buttocks). Too many cultures this figure is not appealing, but to our Bahamian men it is as delightful as the dish itself.
Ingredients:
3 cups Long grain Rice
2 0z Cooking oil
1 sml Onion, chopped
1 tsp Browning
½ tsp Thyme leaves or 2 twigs of fresh thyme
½ tsp Black pepper
Salt to taste
1-1 ½ cup Pigeon Peas (a.k.a gondules)
1 ½ cup Ripe tomatoes, canned tomatoes or 2 tbsp Tomato paste
¼ lb Salt pork, chopped in small cubes, bacon drippings or ham skin/fat and
meat . Alternative to pork vegetable cooking oil and 1 cup beef or
chicken stock
Preparation:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat place until very hot. Carefully add ham skin/scraps and allow to cook until crispy brown. Add onion, thyme and black pepper cook until onions are tender stir frequently. Then add tomatoes (ripe, canned or paste) and browning allow to cook down for 2 – 5 minutes (with tomato paste fry to a caramelized colour). Add peas and cook for 2 minutes then add 3 cups of water and salt to taste, bring to a boil. Add rice stirring to distribute rice evenly in pot. Ensure that water is an inch above level of rice. Allow to boil vigorously with lid off until water has evaporated and is not visible above rice. Stir rice rotating from bottom of pot to top (about twice) the cover pot, reduce heat to low. Cook for 25-40 minutes or until rice is fluffy. If rice is still grainy or raw add ½ cup of seasoned water, cover and cook on very low heat.
