Arroz verde (Parsley Rice)

Here is a third way of cooking rice the Mexican way. The process is basically the same as for white and Mexican rice, except for the addition of a sauce made with parsley. I think it is good to have different colored rices to match the dishes you serve them with. The flavor of the parsley infuses the rice without taking over.

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

a large bunch of Italian (flat-leaved) parsley

1/2 small onion

1/3 cup of water

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

Wash the parsely well, remove coarse stems, and put the leaves and sprigs into the blender with the garlic, onion and water. Blend into a smooth sauce and set aside.

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.

Stir in the blended parsley into the rice, return to the heat, and continue cooking for another 2 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.

You can use fresh coriander in place of the parsley. I personally prefer parsley, but some people think coriander tasts better.