Arroz a la Cubana

Unicorn (unicron@prodigy.net)
Fri, 10 Jul 1998 04:23:18 -0400

This recipe is one we discovered in Uruguay, where my family lived when I
was a boy, and it was a favorite of my brother's and mine. It's name "Cuban rice" is
a mystery, because in subsequent years I have never met a Cuban who knew this
dish. My guess is that in Uruguay they called it "Cuban rice" because of the
use of fried bananas, a Caribbean item. Anyway, it has since become a favorite
of my sons' and nephews', and I'm sure the younger generation in your family
will love it too. The original version called for fried bananas, but my version
cuts down on the fat and simplifies the process by baking the bananas instead.
It is easy to make for two people or twenty, so I have decided to give
ingredients on a per-person basis rather than in the usual format. As we said
in Uruguay - ¡Buen Provecho!

Arroz a la Cubana

All quantities given are PER PERSON
1/2 cup (125 ml) raw white rice
1 cup (250 ml) water
1/4 tsp (1 ml) turmeric
1 banana
2 to 4 slices bacon
1 to 2 eggs
A few drops of olive oil or bacon drippings

Bring the water to a boil and add the rice and turmeric. Stir once, cover,
reduce the heat to a slow simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Do not remove the
cover from the pot. After 15 minutes, remove the pot from heat and set aside.
Meanwhile cook the bacon until crisp. I prefer to do this by placing the bacon
strips in a single layer on a large baking sheet and baking in a moderate oven
(350F, 180C) until crisp, in order to reduce the amount of stove-top activity.
Cut both ends off the bananas and, using the point of a sharp knife, cut
through the peel from one end to the other. Bake these on a separate baking
sheet along with the bacon, for about 20 minutes, until the bananas are soft
and the peel is completely black. When the bananas are done, remove the peel by
grabbing (CAUTION: VERY HOT) the peel where you made the slit and 'rolling' the
banana out of the peel. Fry the eggs in the olive oil or bacon drippings. To
assemble, place a mound of rice in the center of each plate, and surround it
with the bacon and the peeled, cooked bananas. Top with a fried egg or two.
The only challenge in making this dish is to get everything done at the same
time for what can be (depending on the number if diners) a rather frantic
last-minute assembly process. This is why I prefer to do the bacon and the
bananas in the oven rather than the stove-top, because they can stay warm in
the oven until the eggs are done. I frequently have two or three pans of frying
eggs going at the last minute, so that everyone gets a piping hot fried egg on
top of their rice.