Sunday Rice and Peas from Dried Beans

Method

1. Rinse the beans and soak them in plenty of cold water (at least three times their volume) for 8 h. Overnight, they nearly double in size.

   Add in this stepDried red kidney beans 80 g

2. Discard the soaking water, put the beans in a 18 cm pot with the fresh water and crushed garlic. Bring to the boil on high heat and boil hard for 10 min; this step destroys a natural toxin in raw kidney beans and must not be skipped. Then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 1 h, until a bean squashes creamily between your fingers. Top up with water if needed to keep the beans covered.

   Add in this stepWater (for cooking the beans) 1,000 mlGarlic cloves 3

   high heat→medium-low heat

3. Drain the beans over a bowl to catch the red cooking liquor and measure out 110 ml of it, topping up with water if you're short. This liquor tints the rice a soft pink and deepens the flavour. Rinse the rice in cold water 2 or 3 times and drain.

4. Heat the coconut oil in a heavy 18 cm pot with a tight-fitting lid on medium heat and cook the finely chopped onion, allspice and thyme for 2 min, until the onion is translucent and the pimento smells strongly fragrant.

   Add in this stepCoconut oil 2 tspOnion ½Whole allspice (pimento) berries 5Fresh thyme sprigs 3

   medium heat

5. Add the cooked beans, measured bean liquor, coconut milk, spring onions, salt and pepper, and lay the whole Scotch bonnet on top. Bring to the boil on high heat, then lower to medium-low heat and simmer for 5 min. Taste: it should be slightly salty. Take care not to burst the chilli.

   Add in this stepCoconut milk 200 mlSpring onions, bashed 2Salt ¾ tspBlack pepper to tasteScotch bonnet chilli, whole 1

   high heat→medium-low heat

6. Add the rice, stir just once to spread it evenly, bring back to the boil on high heat, then cover and cook on the lowest low heat for 20 min. Don't lift the lid.

   Add in this stepLong-grain rice 150 g

   high heat→low heat

7. Turn the heat off (heat off) and rest for 10 min, then remove the chilli, thyme stalks and spring onions and fluff the rice with a fork.

   heat off