Rice and Beans | Matthew McTaggart

Red Kidney Beans, no pigeon peas please. Gungo peas for another day.

Ingredients

red kidney beans!
3 cups rice
2 scallions
1 bundle fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, crushed
fresh coconut milk
1 scotch bonnet pepper
½ green bell pepper, cut into 2 quarters
¼ red bell pepper
water …

Seasonings

Garlic powder
Onion powder
Salt

Journal

1. Cook the Beans

Start time: 8:15 a.m.

Begin by seasoning the water and cooking the beans with garlic, scallion and fresh thyme. Soaking the beans overnight will help them cook more quickly, but if they have not been soaked, allow approximately 50 minutes or longer for them to become tender. If you really like the smell of onions, you can crush the scallions on themselves as you place them in the water.

A bag of Goya red kidney beans held above a bowl of soaked beans — Soaked red kidney beans, then on the stove with garlic, scallion and thyme.

Beans in a pot with water, scallion, thyme and garlic — Soaked red kidney beans, then on the stove with garlic, scallion and thyme.

A pot of red kidney beans boiling with scallion and thyme — Boiling beans till they're tender.

2. Add the Coconut Milk and Peppers

Approximately 9:05 a.m.

Once the beans are tender, coconut milk is then added for richness, followed by green, red and scotch bonnet pepper. The hot pepper is added for flavor rather than intense heat, so be careful not to pierce or burst it… unless that’s yo’ ting.

Bring the mixture back to a boil. Lower the heat and allow it to simmer and reduce. Taste the liquid and adjust the seasonings as needed.

A pot of beans with coconut milk melting in, a whole green scotch bonnet and pieces of red pepper — Coconut milk melting into the beans, with whole scotch bonnet and bell peppers.

The pot simmering with coconut milk, a red pepper quarter, green pepper and a whole hot pepper — Coconut milk melting into the beans, with whole scotch bonnet and bell peppers.

3. Remove the Aromatics and Reduce the Liquid

After the aromatics have released their flavor, remove them before they become too soft (about 15 minutes after the coconut milk goes in). The scotch bonnet should also be removed before it bursts, and before the rice goes in (about 30 minutes after the coconut milk goes in).

If there appears to be too much liquid, remove some and place it in a separate container. Do not discard it, because a little may need to be added back later. The purpose of this stage is to reduce the liquid until there is enough room in the pot for the rice.

If the garlic cloves are still whole enough to identify, remove them before adding the rice.

A spoon lifting cooked red kidney beans from a pot of coconut broth with peppers — Reducing the liquid for rice to fit.

4. Wash and Add the Rice

Approximately 9:30 a.m.

Next, wash three cups of rice and add it to the seasoned beans and coconut broth. Stir gently from the bottom to keep rice from sticking and then leave the pot uncovered until it returns to a boil. Once it begins boiling, reduce the stove to medium heat.

Approximately 9:45 a.m.

Once the rice begins to absorb the liquid, reduce to a low simmer and disturb it as little as possible. Check the bottom carefully with a fork, but avoid turning the rice repeatedly. Leaving it settled helps it cook evenly.

The green and red pepper pieces can remain in the pot during this stage.

How to Judge the Liquid

The amount of liquid is judged by feel. When the fork moves through the pot, there should be some resistance. If everything feels loosey goosey, remove some liquid. If the mixture is too stiff, add a little liquid back.

This is less about an exact measurement and more about experience and feel.

An overhead view of rice and beans in a loose, watery coconut broth — Judging the liquid by feel - some resistance, not too loose.

A fork testing the liquid in a pot of rice and beans with green and red pepper pieces — Judging the liquid by feel - some resistance, not too loose.

5. Make the Final Liquid Adjustment

Approximately 9:55 a.m.

Once the liquid has reduced to the right level, remove the pepper pieces and cover the pot tightly with foil, then the lid. The foil traps the steam, allowing the rice to finish cooking gently and evenly.

6. Steam the Rice

Approximately 10:15 a.m.

Reduce the stove to its lowest setting. Leave the rice covered and allow it to steam gently. Avoid repeatedly opening the pot, as this releases the steam needed to cook the rice.

A pot covered tightly with foil and a lid on the stove — Dress up your pot with a likkle grass skirt.

7. Fluff and Enjoy

Approximately 10:30 a.m.

Finally, fluff the rice gently with a fork and check that the grains are tender. If necessary, cover it again and continue steaming on the lowest heat. Once cooked, turn off the heat and leave it covered until ready to eat.

A pot of fluffed rice and red kidney beans, cooked and ready to serve — Fluffed in the pot, then on the plate.

Rice and beans plated with fried chicken, broccoli and carrots — Fluffed in the pot, then on the plate.

Timeline

8:15 a.m.: Season the water and begin cooking the beans.
Around 9:05 a.m.: Once the beans are tender, add the coconut milk, scotch bonnet pepper, green pepper and red pepper.
Around 9:20 a.m.: Remove the thyme, scallions and mushy aromatics.
Remove the hot pepper before it bursts, then reduce the liquid, reserving any excess.
9:30 a.m.: Wash and add 3 cups of rice.
Bring the pot to a boil uncovered, then reduce to medium heat.
9:45 a.m.: Reduce to a low simmer and avoid disturbing the rice.
9:55 a.m.: Remove the peppers and make the final liquid adjustment.
Cover tightly with foil and the lid.
10:15 a.m.: Reduce the stove to its lowest setting.
10:30 a.m.: Fluff the rice and continue steaming if needed.
Turn off the heat and leave it covered until ready to eat.

Tips

Soak the beans overnight when possible.
This helps them cook more quickly and evenly.
Keep the hot pepper whole.
Do not cut, pierce or allow it to burst unless you want the dish to be significantly hotter.
Reserve any liquid you remove.
You may need to add some back while the rice is cooking.
Judge the liquid by feel.
The fork should meet some resistance when moved through the pot. The mixture should not feel extremely loose or overly stiff.
Avoid over-stirring the rice.
Once the rice begins to absorb the liquid, move it as little as possible so that it cooks evenly.
Use foil to trap the steam.
Only cover the pot once the excess liquid has cooked down sufficiently.
Finish on very low heat.
Gentle steaming helps the rice cook through without sticking or burning.