Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn)
Make Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn) once and it will go straight into your regular rotation. Prep takes about under an hour, cooking around under an hour, and it serves 4. A hot pan and a little patience give you the kind of colour and texture that makes this dish. Scroll down for the ingredients, the step-by-step method, and answers to the questions we get asked most about it.
- Level Medium
Ingredients
- 2 medium Yellow onions, cut into large chunks
- 3 –4 Italian frying peppers, also know as cubanelle peppers
- 16 –20 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 large Bunch cilantro, washed
- 10 –12 ajices dulces, sweet chili peppers
- 10 Leaves of culantro (recao), or another handful of cilantro
- 3 –4 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded, cored, and cut into chunks (or roasted with skin and seeds removed)
- 1 large Red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into large chunks (or roasted with seeds and some skin removed)
- ?
- 2 tsp Achiote (annatto) seeds
- 10 ½ cup Sofrito, recipe above
- 2 tbsp Alcaparrado, manzanilla olives, pimientos, and capers
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 1 tsp Fresh cracked black pepper
- 3 tsp Cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 10 ½ tsp Coriander seeds or ground coriander
- 1 can (5 oz) Vienna sausage, sliced with liquid saved
- ¼ cup Frozen, canned, or fresh corn kernels. If using fresh corn, cook and remove corn from cob ahead of time
- 3 cup Medium grain rice, do not rinse
- 2 cup Broth or water
- 1 cup Dry White Wine
- 2 Bay leaves or avocado leaves
- 1 Banana leaf or plantain leaf, optional
Method
- Chop the onion and add to blender. Blend until liquefied.
- With the motor running, add the remaining ingredients one at a time and process until smooth.
- Remove 1½ cup of sofrito for the rice. The sofrito will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, freeze in ice trays and it will last a month.
- Heat the oil and annatto seeds in a small skillet over medium heat just until the seeds give off a lively, steady sizzle. Don't overheat the mixture or the seeds will turn black and the oil green. Once they're sizzling away, pull the pan from the heat and let stand until the sizzling stops.
- Strain as much of the oil as you can into a heavy pot or Dutch and let it stand for at least 5 minutes.
- Lightly toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a small skillet over low heat for a few minutes. Keep an eye on them, they turn dark fast.
- Remove seeds from the heat and grind in a little spice grinder or coffee mill.
- Re-heat the annatto oil over high heat until rippling. Stir in vienna sausage and brown. Add sofrito, alcaparrado, squash, salt, bay leaves, coriander, cumin, and pepper. Cook until sofrito stops boiling and sizzles, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the rice until everything is mixed together and rice is coated with oil all over.
- Stir in wine, liquid from vienna sausage and enough broth or water to cover the rice by the width of two fingers. Top with banana leaf (or pan lid), folding it up or cutting it as necessary to fit over rice.
- Bring to a boil, then boil without stirring until the level of liquid meets the rice.
- Remove the banana leaf, give the rice a big stir, and put leaf back on top. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with lid, and cook until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender (about 20 minutes).
- Once rice is fully cooked mix in corn and cook with lid for an additional minute.
Tips for the best Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn)
- This is a 13-step recipe, so set up your workspace in the order the steps use it.
- Read the whole method before you start and measure out the 23 ingredients first — it keeps the pace relaxed once the heat is on.
- Taste as you go. Seasoning at the end is fine, but adjusting halfway through gives a more balanced result.
Variations
- Vegetable boost: stir in a handful of spinach, peas or diced peppers in the last few minutes of cooking.
- Fusion twist: keep the method but swap the spices for your own favourites — the Caribbean base takes well to it.
- Spicier version: add a pinch of chilli flakes or a sliced fresh chilli with the aromatics.
Serving ideas
Pairs well with a simple salad and a glass of something cold.
Storage
Best eaten fresh. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for 2 days; reheat in a hot pan or oven rather than the microwave to bring the crispness back.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn) ahead of time?
Yes. It actually improves after a few hours, so make it earlier in the day and reheat gently before serving.
Is this Arroz con Maiz (Rice with Corn) recipe hard to make?
It is rated hard: 23 ingredients and 13 steps. Follow the order and the tips above and it is very forgiving.
What can I substitute for yellow onions?
Any ingredient with a similar texture and cooking time works; see the variations below for ideas. Keep quantities the same and adjust seasoning at the end.
Adapted from Wikibooks Cookbook, CC BY-SA 4.0 — source
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