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Guam red rice is a special treat. It is an authentic Guam recipe that is a tradition for Guam barbecue dishes. It is also a great side dish for my previous recipe: Cinnamon Jerked Chicken .
Traditionally, most cultures create the red color in rice dishes from a tomato or tomato paste base. Guam is the only culture to use the Achiote seed (Also known as the Annato Seed). This seed is a rusty red color and is soaked in water or chicken broth turing the liquid red, which is used to cook the rice. The rice, when cooked, is very tender with a sticky consistency, and has it’s own unique taste. Very earthy and a light smoke flavor. There are many variations to Guam red rice. This recipe is for red rice with bacon and onions (a Guam favorite).
This recipe for Guam Red Rice can be easily doubled or tripled for larger groups:
Recipe: Guam Red Rice Summary: Traditional Guam Red Rice
Ingredients
2 Cups Jasmin (or medium grain white) rice 2 Cups chicken broth (or water, if you prefer). 1/2 cup Achiote seeds (Also known as Annatto seeds and can be found in most Asian Supermarkets with other seasonings.) 1 Large Yellow Onion coarsely chopped 6 Pieces or bacon (the precooked bacon works well here) 2 Tbsp of olive oil 1 Disposable latex glove.
Instructions
1. Place 1/2 cup of Achiote/Annatto seeds in 2 cups chicken broth (or water) and soak for 2 hours. While seeds are soaking, cook 6 pieces of bacon and cut into small pieces. Set bacon aside. (you can skip step 2, if you are using the pre cooked bacon). Using a small amount of bacon grease (or a little olive oil if you used pre cooked bacon), saute the chopped onion until tender and golden brown. Set onion aside with bacon. After seeds have soaked for 2 hours, put on latex glove on one hand and wash the latex gloved hand in water to remove any powder. Using the gloved hand, reach into the soaking seeds and use your hand to rub the seeds together to bring out more of the rusty murky color and flavors. Continue doing this for about 4 minutes. (The glove is highly recommended during this because these seeds will stain your fingers. They are, after all, a very common die agent in many common products, including cheddar cheese). Strain the water, removing the seeds. You can now dispose of the seeds. They will not be needed anymore. Set the red liquid aside. Place 2 cups of rice in a dish and fill with water. Using a spoon, mix the rice around to wash the starch off of the rice. Drain the water from the rice. Repeat previous step 3 or 4 times until the water no longer turns murky from the starch. Drain rice and empty rice into rice cooker. Take your two cups of red liquid (add more water if you do not have two full cups at this time. Sometimes the seeds absorb some of the water) and pour the red liquid into the rice cooker with the rice. Add 2 Tbsp of olive oil and soak the rice in the red liquid for 10 minutes, before turning the rice cooker on. Turn on the rice cooker and allow rice to fully cook. DO NOT open the lid of the rice cooker until the rice has cooked for about 15 minutes AFTER the rice cooker has finished cooking. Mix in bacon and onions into the rice well, and serve immediately. Note: Some people add the bacon and onions before cooking the rice. I prefer to add it after the rice is cooked because I find that the water or liquid tends to remove the flavor from the onions during cook time. Adding them in the end assures their golden flavor remains in tact.
7 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)
Print This Recipe
(7 votes, average: 4.57 out of 5)
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