Arroz a la Cubana
(ah-ROTH ah lah koo-BAH-nah)
La Comida Hecha Rápida: The Weeknight Heart
Drop your keys on the counter at six p.m. on a Tuesday, pull down a heavy aluminum pan, and make this working-class survival food; despite the name, there is nothing remotely Cuban about it. It is a masterclass in elevating cheap ingredients through flawless technique: rice washed completely clean of its starch, a dark, slow-reduced tomato sofrito, caramelized plantains, and an egg fried violently in smoking hot olive oil, letting the hot fat spit against the whites until the edges turn into crispy, golden lace. Break the yolk into the rice and eat.
Before you start
Wash the rice aggressively.
Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer and agitate it under cold tap water with your hands until the water running out the bottom is completely clear, stripping away the surface starch.
Warm up the eggs.
Pull the eggs out of the refrigerator thirty minutes before cooking so they don't drop the temperature of your hot oil and splatter violently when frying.
Ingredients
- long-grain white rice1 1/2 cup
- extra virgin olive oil1/2 cup
- garlic cloves3 large
- bay leaf1 med
- water3 cup
- kosher salt1 1/2 tsp
- yellow onion1/2 med
- canned crushed tomatoes1 1/2 cup
- white sugar1/2 tsp
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- sweet plantains2 med
- eggs4 large
- all-purpose flour1/8 tsp
Method
- 01
Toast the rice to seal the grains before simmering.
In a medium saucepan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat and briefly toast the smashed garlic clove, bay leaf, and washed rice for one minute. Pour in the water and a heavy pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then drop to the lowest simmer, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it rest covered for exactly 5 minutes.
- 02
Build a slow-reduced tomato sofrito.
While the rice simmers, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a separate skillet over medium-low heat and sweat the diced onion until translucent, then stir in the minced garlic for one minute. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, sugar, black pepper, and a half teaspoon of salt, dropping the heat to low and letting it bubble into a thick, dark red compote.
- 03
Caramelize the sweet plantains.
In a non-stick skillet, heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and fry the plantain slices until deeply golden and caramelized on both sides, which takes about two to three minutes per side. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and finish with a tiny pinch of salt.
- 04
Fry the eggs fiercely to achieve crispy puntillas.
Wipe out the plantain skillet, pour in the remaining olive oil to a depth of a quarter-inch, and heat until it is shimmering and nearly smoking. Sprinkle the flour into the oil to prevent splattering, gently slide in a room-temperature egg from a ramekin, and immediately tilt the pan to rapidly baste the egg with hot oil using a slotted spoon. Pull it after 45 to 60 seconds when the edges are crispy lace and the yolk is still entirely liquid.
- 05
Assemble the dish with a molded rice dome.
Pack the resting rice into a one-cup dry measuring cup and invert it onto the center of a warm plate to form a neat dome. Spoon the reduced tomato sofrito generously over half the dome, lay the lacy fried egg beside it, and frame the plate with the caramelized plantains.
Notes
The puntillas dictate the success of the dish.
If the oil isn't hot enough, the egg will just sit there and gently fry into a sad, rubbery puck. You want violence. Baste aggressively so the egg white sets in seconds before the yolk has a chance to cook.
Plantain ripeness is non-negotiable.
A yellow plantain is a starchy plantain. You want skins that are deeply blackened and heavily bruised—that is where the natural sugars have developed enough to caramelize properly in the pan.
From Cook Spanish in America.