Arroz blanco (White Mexican Rice)

Traditionally in Mexico, rice is considred a "dry soup" and is flavorful enough to be served as a dish on its own. Also traditionally, white rice would be often served with a fried egg on top.

Ingredients

1/3 cup safflower or canola oil

1 1/2 cup white, long-grain rice

3 1/2 cups well-stalted chicken broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup frozen vegetables (peas, or a combination of peas, diced carrots and corn kernels), optional

Submerge the rice in hot water for 15 minutes, then strain. Leave on strainer to remove as much water as possible.

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Once it is quite hot (but not smoking), add the rice. Stir to ensure as many grains as possible are covered with oil. Continue frying, stirring occasionally, until the rice start to turn color. Add the garlic and continue frying for a few minutes more, until the rice squeaks when you stir it. Take the pot out of the heat and tilt over a heat-resistant bowl it to try to remove as much as the oil as you can, using a spoon to ensure the rice stays on the pot.

Return the pot to the heat, add the chicken broth and stir. Add the frozen vegetables, and bring the broth to boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to about medium. The broth should be bubbling briskly, and as the liquid evaporates, you will see "holes" in the rice where the steam is escaping. Let it simmer until most of the liquid evaporates and do not stir it at all. Once the rice is mostly dry, cover the pot with a well-fitting lid and let the rice steam for about 5 minutes.

Once the rice has cooked, take the pan off the heat, take the lid off and over the pot with a kitchen towel, terrycloth preferred, and cover the pot with the lid on top of the towel as tightly as you can. Let it stand for a 1/2 hour.

Just before serving, fluff the rice to separate the grains.

Notes

Another traditional way of serving white rice is to top it off with slices of sautéd (or fried, if you like it crisp) plantain, cut lengthwise. A very dramatic and delicious way of serving it is molded using a ring-shaped mold, packed tightly, and filled with guacamole in the center.

If you don't remove the oil after frying the rice, the resulting rice will be a bit heavy. If you don't mind that or prefer it that way, skip the removal of the oil.

You could also add 1/2 a small onion, cut in slim rings, when adding the garlic to the rice.

The vegetables give the rice a beatiful color contrast, but not everyone likes them, especially the peas. You can, of course, use fresh vegetables, but on no account should you use canned vegetables.

Sometimes I like to add a couple sprigs of fresh coriander at the time I add the broth.