Chef's Notes
Frying the rice prevents it from becoming mushy when it is cooked in the sauce. After blending, some people prefer to strain the tomato mixture to remove the skin from the tomatoes. You could also substitute the tomatoes for tomato juice or V8.
Variations: Instead of peas, you can add frozen corn, small diced carrots, or thin slices of poblano peppers.
Step 1: Preparing Your Mise en Place
- 1/2 white onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 large tomatoes
- 1 1/2 cups stock (approx.)
To start the rice, first roughly chop the onion and garlic. Core and cut the tomatoes into large chunks.
Place everything into the blender with about half a cup of stock.
Purée everything until smooth and then pour into a measuring cup. Top up with stock to measure 3 cups of liquid.
Step 2: Toasting the Rice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup converted rice
To cook the rice, heat a pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the oil, followed by the rice. Toast the rice until translucent and it just starts to brown, which should take about 5 minutes or so.
Step 3: Cooking the Rice
- 1 tsp sea salt
Once the rice has nicely browned, add the tomato and stock mixture, followed by the salt. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, give it one final stir. Turn the heat down to low, cover and let cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Step 4: Finishing the Rice
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- sea salt, to taste
- freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Once the rice is done, gently fluff it with a fork and sprinkle the frozen peas over top. Recover and set aside for about 5 minutes. To finish, fold in the peas, taste for seasoning, and serve.