Best Recipe for Caribbean Rice and Peas
Ingredients
- 10 ounces frozen black-eyed peas, thawed
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces turkey kielbasa (or other smoked sausage), thinly sliced
- 1 large bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
- 2 small ribs celery, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons jerk seasoning
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain brown rice
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 cups stemmed and chopped collard greens
Instructions
- Combine the black-eyed peas, 3 cups water and a pinch of salt in a small pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the kielbasa and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Add the scallion whites, celery, garlic, jalapeno, jerk seasoning and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until the vegetables brown, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato paste turns brick red, about 2 more minutes. Add the rice, bay leaves and the black-eyed peas with their liquid to the skillet and bring to a boil; do not stir.
- Add the collards; cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer undisturbed until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 50 minutes; set aside for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Just before serving, add the scallion greens and fluff with a fork.
- Photograph by Antonis Achilleos
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