Puerto Rican–Style Rice with Pigeon Peas and Ham
- Makes4-6 servings
- Cook Time1 hour
If you think burnt rice is a bad thing, think again. You’ve actually done something right if your rice with pigeon peas, or arroz con gandules, ends up with pegao, the toasty, golden crust on the bottom. In Puerto Rico, the one-pot dish is on the table at every type of gathering and celebration, and is a staple at Christmas. Despite the name, pigeon peas aren’t really peas at all—they’re closer to shelling beans. We use canned pigeon peas for ease. Opt for green over brown, but if you can’t find either, black-eyed peas are a decent stand-in. As for the rice—medium-grain is a must. Long-grain will turn to mush before it develops a proper pegao. Serve family style straight from the skillet.
Don’t forget to rinse and drain the rice. Removing excess starch prevents the rice from cooking up heavy and gloppy. Also, don’t hand-chop the aromatics. The point of using a food processor is to really break them down so they integrate like a sauce into the rice and peas.
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