Kitchen Secrets with Our Cuban Chef – Arroz a la Cubana
Today we are going to talk about a rice recipe that is well-known by everyone, and that you have surely eaten many times. The secret of its success lies in the sweet-salty combination and in the fact that the foods that make it up are to the liking of a great majority. Arroz a la Cubana consists of a combination of white rice, fried eggs, and fried plantains, as easy as that. The eggs are served on top of mounds of rice. It is usually accompanied by tomato sauce and, traditionally, sliced fried ripe plantain and avocado”.
For us, Arroz a la Cubana has always been one of the classic rice recipes, it has always been composed of rice, fried egg, Canary Island plantain, and tomato sauce. We did not know about the avocado, but we think it is wonderful and we will add it from now on. Some complete the set with some meat: sausages, tape of loin, or minced meat.
The name of the dish “comes from the Cuban practice of soaking white rice in the sauce of stews, generally made with spicy tomato sauce”. Before continuing, it is necessary to point out that this is not a typical Cuban dish, but a fully Spanish one. Some sources place their origin in the Canary Islands, hence the banana, but we cannot be sure either. During the Spanish colonial period on the island, the fondness for fried eggs was introduced, which began to be accompanied by rice, plantain, etc. And this may be the origin of a remote relationship with typical Cuban dishes since that time.
HOW IS ARROZ A LA CUBANA MADE?
Ingredients
300g Rice
4 Plantains
8 eggs
Extra virgin olive oil
Laurel
Salt
4kg Tomato
5 carrots
3 Italian green bell pepper
3 Onion
Sugar (optional)
SO HOW TO PREPARE ARROZ A LA CUBANA?
We start with the tomato sauce, as it takes a considerable time to cook. Although once all the ingredients are in the casserole, just let them cook slowly.
Peel and chop the onion. Cut the peppers into julienne strips and the carrots into thin slices. Sauté in a casserole with a little extra virgin olive oil until the onion takes brownish color, so the sauce will have more flavor.
Add the tomatoes, washed, and chopped, and cook over low heat, stirring from time to time, for an hour. Crush and return to the fire to cook over low heat for another hour. Salt and add a pinch of sugar if it is too acidic.
Prepare the white rice. In a casserole, pour a little extra virgin olive oil. When it gets hot, add the rice, mix, and fry it.
Now add 2 and a half parts of water for each part of the rice. As soon as it starts to boil, salt to taste and lower the heat to low.
Cook for 15 minutes. Watch from time to time so that it does not run out of liquid, and it sticks to the bottom. We test the rice, and we rectify the salt if it is the case. Let it rest, covered, for about 2/3 minutes, and ready to eat.
Cut the plantain in half, lengthwise. Heat plenty of olive oil in a frying pan and fry on both sides over high heat. Be careful not to overdo it or it will disintegrate in the pan, especially if it is almost ripe. Remove and set aside.
Use the same frying pan to fry the eggs, which should be at room temperature so that they do not splatter. To form the famous “puntilla” the temperature of the oil must be high, and it is advisable not to touch them once inside. In less than a minute they will be ready to remove and plate.
Now just add the rice (to make the mound we use a cup as a mold), crown it with the tomato sauce, add the fried plantain and immediately enjoy this classic dish in Spanish homes.
Arroz a la Cubana does not need any accompaniment. It is a combination dish that is enough and enough to satisfy the appetite of the hungriest. The only addition we recommend is a piece of good bread to dip in that lusty yolk.
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