Massimo Capra is back at it again with his delicious take on rice and beans with some zesty Cuban flair.

Cuban rice & beans

Ingredients: 

• 4 x 15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ¼ cup olive oil for sautéing
• 2 ½ cups white onion, diced
• 2 ½ cups bell peppers, seeded and diced (mixture of green, red and yellow)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
• 3 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 4 ½ cups chicken broth
• 3 cups long-grain white rice

Method:

Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear. Set aside.

Use a large, eight-quart covered stockpot to sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until tender.

Add the garlic, and sauté another minute or two.

Add the tomato paste, black beans, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and vinegar. Cook for about five minutes, stirring gently.

Add the chicken stock and the rinsed rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes — until the rice is fully cooked.

Remove the bay leaf, then add salt and pepper to taste.

For an added treat, drizzle some Spanish olive oil (don’t be stingy!) over the rice in the pot and fluff cooked rice gently with a fork. If plating the rice as a side dish, drizzle a little olive oil over individual servings and garnish with some parsley or cilantro.

Serves 8

Courtesy Massimo Capra

www.massimocapra.com

@chefmassimo