Arroz a la mexicana (Mexican-style Rice)

Originating in Africa, rice is such a ubiquitous grain that it can represent the cuisine of a culture. Basmati rice conjures images of exotic Indian food; fragant Jasmin rice calls to the colorful dishes of Thai food; sticky rice reminds one of delicious Dim Sum dishes; who doesn't love risotto with arborio rice, or Valencian rice most famous dish, paella? The list goes on and on.

Mexican-style rice is certainly a mark of Mexican food. There used to be a time when you couldn't get a Mexican dish, authentic or not, that didn't come with a side of Mexican rice. (I'll spare you the rant about "Spanish" being different than "Mexican".)

In contrast with Chinese food, in which the rice is fried after it is steamed, Mexicans fry the rice as the first part of the cooking process.

Ingredients

1/3 cup safflower or canola oil

1 1/2 cup white, long-grain rice

1 large tomato

1 clove garlic, minced

3 1/2 cups well-stalted chicken broth

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.

Blend the tomato with the onion and garlic into a smooth purée and add it to the rice, returning the pot to the heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until it's almost dry, about 3 minutes.

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

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.

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.