Tlaxcala Style White Rice

This is another recipe from the Mexican state of Tlaxcala, this time a staple side dish, perfect to have at hand when preparing a menu with a saucy main course in mind, such as a mole or a stew. I found the recipe in a book that surveyed cooks from all around Tlaxcala, asking them to share their recipes and methods; in this recipe, the first instructions are to rinse the rice, and drain it, and then casually directs to “let it dry in the sun”. I am sure it is fine to just let it sit in a colander on the kitchen counter, but I thought it was a very picturesque detail, so I honoured the capricious direction, and let my rinsed rice sit in a tray, placed on a stool by my south-facing French door:

Tlaxcala Style White Rice –

Arroz blanco estilo Tlaxcala

Printable recipe: Tlaxcala Style White Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long grain rice; rinsed, drained in a colander, and allowed to rest to dry
2 ½ cups broth (or water, for vegan option); boiled, and kept hot
¼ white onion; peeled, and chopped finely
1 clove garlic; peeled, and minced
2 tbsp lard (or vegetable oil for vegan option)
1 sprig parsley; washed
1 tsp salt, or to taste

Dissolve salt in broth (or water); reserve.

Warm up lard (or oil) in a large pan over medium heat. Add rice to the pan; the grains should sizzle:

Fry the rice, stirring, to avoid burning, for about five minutes (photo below, left). Add onions, and continue stirring and cooking, until rice starts to turn slightly golden brown (photo below, right):

Add garlic, and continue cooking for a few more seconds. Pour in reserved hot broth (or water, photo below, left). Add parsley and stir (photo below, right):

Bring to boil, then reduce heat to a very slow simmer, and cook, covered, for twenty minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to rest, covered, for another five minutes. Uncover pan, and check that there is no liquid left at the bottom (photo below, left). Fluff rice with a fork, and remove wilted parsley blade (photo below, right):

Serve hot:

This flavourful rice can stand alone as a satisfying lunch, often topped – Tlaxcala style – with sliced hard-boiled eggs, or as a delicious side with saucy dishes, either from Tlaxcala, or deployed from other states, for example, Oaxaca Style Black Mole (photo below left), or Sinaloa Style Deviled Shrimp (photo below, right); click on highlighted text, or images below, for full stories and recipes: