Poblano Green Rice Recipes

GREEN RICE (ARROZ VERDE)

Steps:

• Rinse the rice a few times, until the water that drains from it runs almost completely clear. Set aside to drain well. Put the onion, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, cilantro, parsley and salt in a food processor with a splash of the measured stock or water if needed, to help the blades catch the ingredients and break them down. Purée until smooth.
• Heat oil in a medium, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, then add the rice and stir well. When the grains are dry and toasted, and some are starting to color, about 5 to 10 minutes, add the mixture from the blender along with the remaining stock or water.
• When the liquid comes to a rolling boil, give it a good stir, scraping at the bottom of the pot. Put a lid on the pot and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for another 15 minutes before opening the lid. The green purée will have settled on the top of the rice, so gently mix it in as you stir and aerate the rice with a spatula. Taste, season with salt and serve with a wedge of lime.

POBLANO GREEN RICE

Steps:

• Seed the poblano peppers, then rough chop them along with the onion. (Size is not super important, as we are going to purée them.) In a medium pot, add the vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the peppers, onion and garlic and cook until the onions start to turn clear and all the veggies have some light caramelization. Transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, and pulse until the mixture is puréed thoroughly, about 2 minutes.
• In a medium pot, combine the vegetable stock, rice and pepper mixture. Stir well and bring to a boil. Drop down to a simmer, then cover and allow to cook until the rice is fluffy and the majority of the liquid has been absorbed, 18 to 20 minutes.
• Fold in the cilantro right before serving.

GREEN POBLANO RICE (ARROZ VERDE AL POBLANO)

Steps:

• The flavoring: In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the broth and chiles, bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer gently over medium to medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are very soft. Pour the chile mixture into a food processor, add the cilantro (stems and all), and process to a smooth puree. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the salt.
• The rice: Wipe the pan clean, add the oil and heat over medium. Add the rice and onion, and cook, stirring regularly, until the rice is chalky looking and the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook a minute longer.
• Add the warm (or reheated) chile liquid to the hot rice pan, stir once, scrape down any rice kernels clinging to the side of the pan, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes. Uncover and check a grain of rice: It should be nearly cooked through. If the rice is just about ready, turn off the heat, re-cover and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes longer to complete the cooking. If the rice seems far from done, continue cooking for 5 minutes or so, retest, then turn off the heat and let stand a few minutes longer. Fluff with a fork, scoop into a warm serving dish, decorate with cilantro sprigs and it's ready to serve.
• Advance preparation: The rice can be made several days ahead; turn out the fluffed rice onto a baking sheet to cool, transfer to a storage container, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat the rice in a steamer basket set over boiling water.
• Variations and improvisations: An obvious variation is to use 3 or 4 long green (Anaheim) chiles, or to mix poblanos and long greens with hotter chiles like jalapeño, manzano or habanero. Grilled corn cut from 1 cob or 1 large grilled zucchini (cubed) are tasty vegetable add-ins. About 1 cup coarsely shredded roast (or barbecued) pork or smoked salmon, mixed in toward the end of cooking, will make green rice a full meal.

GREEN POBLANO-CHILE RICE

Steps:

• Soak rice in water 5 minutes; drain. Puree scallions, chiles, garlic, cilantro, and 1/4 cup water in a blender.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook rice, stirring, until just golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chile puree; cook, stirring, until rice is almost dry, about 3 minutes. Add stock and 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until nearly all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover; let stand until all liquid is absorbed, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Fluff rice with a fork, and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro.

GREEN RICE WITH POBLANO CHILES

Steps:

• Set oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place poblano peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet.
• Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, 5 to 8 minutes. Place blackened peppers into a bowl and tightly seal with plastic wrap. Allow peppers to steam as they cool, about 20 minutes. Remove and discard skins.
• Combine 4 poblano peppers, 1 cup chicken broth, onion, and garlic in a blender; blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and fry the rice, stirring continuously, until evenly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add poblano chile mixture and remaining 2 1/2 cups chicken broth, epazote, and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and cook until rice is soft and all the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Slice remaining poblano chile and serve as a garnish with the rice.

GREEN POBLANO RICE

Steps:

• Place whole chiles over open flame of gas stove, turning them from time to time, until skin is blistered and lightly charred. (Or brush oil on chile surface and place under broiler, turning carefully with tongs until blistered.) Place roasted chiles in food-storage plastic bag about 10 minutes to loosen skins. Remove skin of each by running hands down the chile. Make a vertical slit on one side of roasted and peeled chile, open down one side, and carefully remove seeds and stems.
• In blender, place roasted chiles, cilantro, 2 cups of the broth and the bouillon granules. Cover; blend about 45 seconds or until smooth. Strain; discard solids. Set aside.
• In 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute. Add rice; cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is light golden.
• Stir in strained chile liquid. Stir in remaining 2 cups broth, half of the parsley and the salt. Reduce heat to low. Cover; cook 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is almost tender. Stir in remaining parsley.
• Increase heat to medium. Uncover; cook about 3 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add salt to taste. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

GREEN POBLANO RICE

Steps:

• Place chopped peppers and broth into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until peppers are tender.
• Allow mixture to cool (if you blend it hot, it will fly out of the blender and burn you), then puree in a blender (broth and all) along with cilantro and salt.
• Place onion and rice into a saucepan with the oil, and cook, stirring, until rice is opaque and onions are tender.
• Add garlic and cook briefly, until it becomes fragrant.
• Stir in broth mixture from the blender.
• Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce heat, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
• Allow to sit with the pan lid on away from heat for 12-15 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.