Cook-Up Rice

About This Recipe

Cook-Up Rice is to Guyanese what rice and peas is to Jamaicans — a beloved, nourishing one-pot meal cooked every week in households across the country, and especially on New Year's Eve for good luck in the coming year. Black-eye peas (the traditional choice, though other legumes work too) are simmered with rice, salted beef or pigtails, coconut milk, and a fragrant bundle of herbs until everything melds into a cohesive, slightly creamy pot. The dish is as adaptable as the families who make it — every cook has their own version and their own secret additions.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 400 glong-grain white rice, rinsed
• 400 gcooked black-eye peas (or 1 can, drained)
• 300 gsalted beef or pigtail, soaked overnight and cut into chunks
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 500 mlwater
• 1large onion, chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2 stalksfresh thyme
• 2spring onions, roughly chopped
• 1wiri wiri pepper or scotch bonnet, left whole
• 2 tbspvegetable oil
• 1 tspblack pepper
• saltto taste (careful — salted meat adds salt)

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the salted meat

   Place soaked salted meat in a pot, cover with fresh water, and boil for 30 minutes to tenderise and remove excess salt. Drain and cut into smaller chunks.

2. 2

   Sauté aromatics

   In a large heavy pot, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until golden, about 5 minutes.

3. 3

   Add meat and peas

   Add the cooked salted meat and black-eye peas. Stir to combine with the aromatics.

4. 4

   Add liquids and rice

   Pour in coconut milk and water. Add thyme, spring onions, and the whole pepper. Bring to a boil. Stir in the rinsed rice.

5. 5

   Cook covered

   Reduce heat to very low, cover tightly, and cook for 25–30 minutes until rice is cooked through and has absorbed most of the liquid. Do not lift the lid during this time.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Discard the whole pepper. Fluff gently and serve.

Variations

• •

  Swap black-eye peas for kidney beans, split peas, or lentils.

• •

  Add sliced okra in the last 5 minutes for an Afro-Caribbean twist.

• •

  Vegetarian version: omit meat, use vegetable stock, and double the peas.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water or coconut milk in a covered pan.

Frequently Asked Questions