It has happened to all of us. We open the refrigerator and it's basically empty; the cupboards are in the same bare condition. What to make for dinner? If you are Cuban, there is always white rice in the house. Eggs are a staple in every household, and if you're lucky, there's a ripe plantain sitting around. This is such a simple dish, and a satisfying, tasty one, that it requires basically no explanation.
Cook your white rice using whatever method you prefer. Fry your plantains (click here). Fry a couple of eggs per person until crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Place them over a bed of white rice, with a couple of plantains on the side. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Now what? Slice your eggs over your rice and mix it together. You can cut up your plantains and toss them in the mix. It's gooooood!
There you go!!! When everything else fails, this combination will give you the strength to keep on going. I loved it from the time I was a child and even when there was "bisté" in the menu at home ( I wasn't particularly fond of meat when I was 5-6 years old) I would ask my mother to make me two "huevitos fritos con platanitos" and she would happily oblige by making them with the prettiest golden brown "lace" around the whites. Than I would sink my fork into the soft yolk and mix it all up with the white rice and eat it making sure there was always a little piece of platanito frito crowning every bite.
ReplyDeleteA tip for you and your readers: I you want to make the tastiest white rice ever (and according to Nitza Villapol, this is the TRUE way of making white rice the Cuban way) do it like this: ALWAYS use the proportion of 1 cup of dry rice to 1.5 cup of water. Never rinse the rice if it's enriched and packaged. It's unnecessary and you will NEVER get the rice water to run clear completely... Anyway. Let's say you are making 2 cups of dry rice. Therefore, you need to measure 3 cups of water in a shallow flat-bottom pan (by shallow I mean with no steep high walls). To the water add salt to taste, one large clove of garlic pressed, minced, sliced or however you like to cut it, but in very small pieces. Add the juice of 1/2 lime (or lemon) to the water and let it brake into a gentle boil. Simmer for about 3 minutes. Add the dry rice and distribute evenly over the entire bottom of the pan making sure it's completely covered by the water. Let it come to a boil again (about 1-2 minutes) and then reduce heat to a minimum ( my stove has 6 settings; at this point I turn it to setting number 2) and simmer on this very low heat, COVERED with a lid, for 10-15 minutes). Uncover, fluff with a fork and check for tenderness. If it's still a little tough, add 1/8-1/4 cup of water and keep it on number 2 until the grain is tender (tender; not mushy or sticky). At this point, sprinkle some extra virgin olive oil on top ( maybe 1-2 tablespoonfuls, depending on taste), fluff and serve. You can eat this rice all by itself. It' so good! (I use Mahatma Long Grain Jasmine Rice by personal choice, but you can use any rice that is long grain, so it won't get sticky and starchy). I have a really nice rice cooker but prefer to make my white rice the traditional way, just as I described it here. Hope you like it.
Your recipes always make me think of a fond childhood memory(and I'm not cuban! hahahaha)!
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite growing up! I still remember the first time I made it for my "Gringo" husband (although now, he's 100% latino, no questions asked!)...yum!
que rico, I still eat that at least once week. it's also the go to meal the days there's no time to cook a more elaborate meal.
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm if you dont have platanos it's so good with some aguacate :) or some papa frita.
This sounds like the most amazing comfort food. I can imagine a satisfying solo dinner,
ReplyDeleteSometimes the simplest food is the most satisfying.
ReplyDeletethas just wrong! Im soo hungryyy
ReplyDeleteLOL Anonymous! Eat Something!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great readd
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