Moros y cristianos
Cuba's black beans and rice, simmered together in a sofrito of onion, pepper and garlic with cumin and oregano.
Photo : George Kelly · CC BY 2.0
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Serves
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Method
- Heat the oil in a heavy casserole and sweat the onion and pepper over medium heat for 8 minutes, without letting them colour.
- Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and stir for 1 minute to wake up the spices.
- Pour in the vinegar and scrape the base of the pot to lift the caramelised bits.
- Add the drained beans, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Mash a few beans against the pot to give the dish body.
- Pour in 500 ml of the bean liquid, topped up with water if needed, bring to the boil, then stir in the rice all at once.
- Simmer uncovered until the liquid is almost absorbed, about 10 minutes, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for 18 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaves, rest covered for 10 minutes, and fluff with a fork before serving.
The name recalls the Moors and Christians of medieval Spain, black beans and white rice cooked in one pot. If you use tinned beans, top up their liquid with water to reach the exact volume.
