Ochro Rice

This one-pot rice won­der is per­fect for lunch or din­ner and can be paired with any­thing. (We tend to favour stewed fish or jerk chick­en). Nut­ty rice and ochroes are sim­mered in creamy co­conut milk and savoury onion and gar­lic. We then mix in fresh herbs for a bright kick.

Feel free to add in smoked bones, pig­tail or salt­fish for amped-up flavour. Ei­ther way, you choose to have your ochro rice, we’re sure it will be a sta­ple on your ta­ble.

Yields: 8 serv­ings

Prep Time: 15 min­utes

Cook Time: 40 min­utes

To­tal Time: 55 min­utes

IN­GRE­DI­ENTS

15 small ochroes, trimmed and sliced

2 cups white rice

3 cups co­conut milk

1 ta­ble­spoon sea­son­ing salt or all-pur­pose sea­son­ing*

3 ta­ble­spoons co­conut oil

1 medi­um-sized onion, grat­ed fine­ly

3 gar­lic cloves, grat­ed fine­ly

3 pi­men­tos, chopped

½ hot pep­per, de­seed­ed

⅛ cup chopped chive

⅛ cup chopped chan­don beni

Salt­fish or pig­tail, op­tion­al

*Re­duce to ½ ta­ble­spoon if us­ing smoked or salt­ed meat

DI­REC­TIONS

1 In a large pot, over medi­um-high heat, add oil and sauté gar­lic, onion, pi­men­tos, hot pep­per and ochro for two min­utes.

2 Then, add co­conut milk, sea­son­ing salt and smoked or salt­ed meat if us­ing. Re­duce heat to medi­um and let sim­mer for 10 min­utes.

3 Add rice and 1 ½ cups of wa­ter. Cov­er and let cook. Mix rice every 5 min­utes to en­sure that it does not stick to the bot­tom of the pot.

4 When all liq­uid is com­plete­ly ab­sorbed, re­move from heat and add chives and chan­don beni; mix well.

5 Re­move from heat and serve.