JAMAICAN-STYLE RICE & PEAS

SERVES 6 to 8

This is a staple Jamaican recipe that I grew up eating and now make frequently for my own family. It’s traditionally made with either pigeon peas or kidney beans. Every cook seasons their pot of rice and peas according to their own tastes, but when I consulted my mother and aunts for their recipes, the consensus was that it should include green onions, ginger, and garlic, with some gentle heat from the addition of a Scotch bonnet chile that you drop in whole and remove before serving. This is a great side dish alongside jerk or simply grilled chicken.

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 green onions, finely chopped

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15-ounce) can pigeon peas (or black-eyed peas), drained and rinsed

1 cup water

1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk, shaken

3 fresh thyme sprigs

1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero chile

2 cups long-grain white rice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the green onions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Pour in the peas and water, then stir in the coconut milk. Drop in the thyme and the whole chile. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Uncover, remove and discard the chile and thyme sprigs, and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve.