Jamaican Rice and Peas with Charred Lemon Butter

About This Recipe

Rice and peas is a cornerstone of Jamaican cooking -- rice cooked with kidney beans (locally called 'peas') in coconut milk infused with scotch bonnet, thyme, and scallion, traditionally served alongside Sunday dinners of curry or jerk chicken. This version finishes the dish with a charred lemon butter drizzled over the top just before serving, adding brightness and a subtle smokiness to the naturally rich, coconutty rice. The technique that determines success is cooking the beans' liquid down properly with the coconut milk before the rice goes in, so the grains cook directly in a deeply flavored, slightly reduced liquid rather than plain water. A whole scotch bonnet, left unpunctured or just pierced once, infuses gentle heat throughout the pot without overwhelming it, since a burst pepper would make the dish far too spicy. Served as the starch component of a larger Jamaican plate, rice and peas is comfort food across the island, and the charred lemon butter finish here is a modern touch that adds brightness without straying from the dish's essential character.

Ingredients

Serves 3

• 1.5 cupsdried kidney beans(soaked overnight, or 2 cans drained)
• 2 cupscoconut milk
• 2 cupswater
• 1scotch bonnet pepper(whole, pierced once)
• 2 sprigsfresh thyme
• 3scallions(whole)
• 2 cupslong-grain rice(rinsed)
• 1 tspsalt
• 2lemons(halved)
• 4 tbspbutter

Instructions

1. 1

   Cook the beans

   If using dried beans, simmer soaked beans in water until tender, about 45-50 minutes. If using canned, skip to the next step.

2. 2

   Combine with coconut milk

   Add coconut milk, scotch bonnet, thyme, and scallions to the pot with the beans and their cooking liquid (or canned beans plus 2 cups water). Bring to a boil.

3. 3

   Add the rice

   Stir in rice and salt. Bring back to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook 18-20 minutes until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.

4. 4

   Char the lemons

   While the rice cooks, char lemon halves cut-side down in a dry hot pan for 2-3 minutes until deeply blackened.

5. 5

   Make the charred lemon butter

   Melt butter in a small pan, squeeze in the juice from the charred lemons, and stir until combined.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Discard scotch bonnet, thyme sprigs, and scallions from the rice. Drizzle the charred lemon butter over the rice just before serving.

Variations

• •

  Use pigeon peas (gungo peas) instead of kidney beans, a traditional Christmas-season variation.

• •

  Skip the charred lemon butter for classic, unadorned rice and peas.

• •

  Add a can of black-eyed peas for a different bean variety.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water or coconut milk to loosen, since rice firms up considerably in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions