Toni Crockett – Serves 6

I grew up eating enchiladas that were assembled into a layered pie, from canned Rosarita refried beans and mushy Spanish rice. In the 1960s, it was my family’s take on Mexican food. We didn’t know that enchiladas were supposed to be rolled, beans didn’t need to be canned, or that rice can be colored with saffron. Growing up, we used tomato sauce, and did I mention mushy rice? But now, I’ve learned the secret to transforming that mushy mess into perfectly textured Spanish rice.

In the late 1970s, I lived with Toni Crockett, a friend, roommate, and co-worker. She grew up in Casa Blanca, a Latino neighborhood of Riverside, and learned the art of cooking from her mother. Toni was a crazy good cook, had a bubbly personality, and we had a lot of fun together. Cooking with her was always fun and, luckily, she shared many of her family’s recipes with me. One of my favorites was this recipe for Spanish Rice. It turns out they also used tomato sauce, because growing up, we never even knew saffron existed. 

As in most cases, it isn’t just the list of ingredients that makes a successful dish. Technique, science, and intuition are part of the mix. It turns out that the trick to delicious Spanish rice is to pay close attention when you are toasting the rice before adding any liquids. Here’s how it works: By browning the rice, the outside and inside of the grains of rice cook at the same rate. This keeps the rice from getting mushy, ensuring a perfect texture and flavor.

As you cook more, you will begin to develop your cooking intuition. By practicing, your confidence will build, and you will begin to do a little experimenting. For example, you will know that using chicken broth, instead of water, helps to boost the flavor. It is the small things in cooking that make a big impact. In this case, slowly browning the rice makes all the difference in the world.  It made Toni very happy to learn that this is the way  I taught Annie to  make Spanish rice.

Ingredients

• 1 C White long grain rice
• 1 t Olive oil
• ¼ C Tomato sauce
• ½  Small white onion (diced)
• 2 C Chicken broth
• 1 t Salt

Directions

• In a side bowl mix the chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt. Set aside.
• In a skillet place the olive oil over medium-low heat. 
• Add the rice and cook until the rice turns a golden color. Stir often to avoid over browning the rice.
• Add diced onion and cook until it is translucent.
• Add the chicken broth, tomato sauce and salt to the golden colored rice and onions. Turn up heat on the stove top. Bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, cover and reduce the heat to low.
• Keep the lid on and cook for between 20 and 25 minutes…. or until all water has been absorbed.