I have said it before and I will say it again, the best way to cook a pot of perfectly fluffy, tender rice is with the pilaf method. This French method begins with sautéing the rice in either butter or oil until each individual grain of rice is coated and toasted. Then you add the stock and seasonings, cover, and cook until the liquid is absorbed and the rice can be fluffed with a fork. Professional cooks as well as home cooks use this method to cook rice throughout the world; this recipe for Mexican Red Rice with Shrimp is a prime example of that. The trick to this tomato-flavored rice dish filled with green peas, carrots, bell peppers, cilantro and tender shrimp is just that; starting the rice off by toasting it and the diced vegetables in oil, then coating the rice with a puree of fresh tomatoes and white onion. Once this puree is added to the rice and the liquid absorbed, this is when you add in the stock, the other seasonings, and the shrimp before covering the pot and allowing the rice to finish its cooking. This is a wonderful main course dish that I like to serve with a dollop of tangy sour cream and a dash of hot sauce.
Toasting the rice and diced vegetables in olive oil
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Mexican Red Rice with Shrimp
Ingredients:
- 1 large tomato, cut into wedges
- ½ white onion, cut into wedges
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 1 carrot, small diced
- ½ green bell pepper, small diced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/3 cup frozen peas
- ½ lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Sour cream, for serving
- Hot sauce, for serving
Directions:
- Place the tomato and onion wedges in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a smooth puree. Set the puree aside.
- In a medium saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the rice, diced carrot and diced bell pepper. Cook, stirring often for 3-4 minutes or until the rice is lightly toasted (not browned) and each grain coated with oil. Season the rice mixture with salt and pepper. Add in the tomato-onion puree, reduce the heat to medium-low, and allow the rice to absorb this liquid. (This will take about 5-7 minutes)
- Once the tomato puree is absorbed add the chicken stock, cilantro, peas and shrimp to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover the saucepan and allow the rice mixture to cook for 30-35 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid and is fluffy when fluffed with a fork.
- Serve the red rice with sour cream and hot sauce, if desired.
Tagged: bell peppers, carrots, chicken stock, cilantro, Mexican, peas, pilaf method, red rice, rice dish, rice pilaf, shrimp, tomato puree
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