The easiest way to make Jamaican rice and peas is the slow cooker version I shared previously. It’s one of my favorite recipes, but adding salted pigtails to this dish really takes the “comfort” factor up a notch in my opinion. Served with a healthy side of Jamaican steamed cabbage, it’s comforting, warming, and filling, even in the middle of a brutal Canadian winter.
What you need:
1 1/2 cups dried red kidney beans (soaked)
6-8 sprigs of thyme
2 spring onions (chopped)
4-6 garlic cloves (Crushing)
1 medium sized onion (diced)
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (See note below)
8 pimento berries (Allspice)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds salted pork trotters (Cooked)
1/2 cup coconut cream
2 1/2 cups boiled brown rice (washed)
Water (12 to 14 cups)
Please note! Soaking the washed items (Drying) Soaked red kidney beans (with cover) It cooks quickly. We recommend watching the video below as you cook it as it goes into more detail about the recipe, especially how to pre-cook the salted pig’s tail. If you are making this recipe gluten free, please check the full list of ingredients to ensure it meets your specific dietary requirements. Salted pig’s tail can be difficult to cut, so we recommend asking your butcher to cut it into 1-1.5 inch pieces.
In a deep saucepan, add the pre-soaked beans and the remaining water from soaking overnight or for at least 4 hours, followed by the thyme, scallions, garlic, onion, and pimento berries. (Allspice), Black pepper and Scotch bonnet pepper.
Scotch Bonnet Pepper (Habanero is fine too) You have two options: either break it while cooking to let the heat escape, or Do not break during cooking Finally remove it.
Turn the stove to high heat and add about 8 cups of water and the coconut cream.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 90 minutes until the beans are tender. Remember, you have already cooked the salted pig tail beforehand. (Watch the video)While cooking, you will need to add about 4-5 cups of water as the rice also needs some liquid to cook.
Note! If you don’t have coconut cream, use 2 cups coconut milk and omit the 2 cups water mentioned above.
Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, then transfer to a saucepan and bring to a boil again over high heat.
Reduce heat to a boil/simmer and simmer for approximately 20-25 minutes until rice is tender – if you use white rice it will cook faster and require less water.
No, I didn’t add any salt to this dish as the salt left in the salted pig’s tail was enough to give it flavour, but feel free to taste it at this point and adjust the salt to suit your taste. Also, at this stage, feel free to remove the whole Scotch bonnet pepper if you don’t want it to be too spicy.
Turn off the heat and cover the pot. After 8-10 minutes, you can fluff the meat with a fork if you like. Enjoy.
Personally, I think this version of Rice & Peas would be better if it was a little moister and/or had less sherry in it.
