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Arroz con palmito
Arroz con palmito: Costa Rican baked rice with hearts of palm and cheese
Hearts of palm grow commercially in Costa Rica's northern lowlands, and arroz con palmito is the creamy, cheesy rice bake that turns up at family birthdays, first communions and Christmas buffets across the country. Cooked rice is folded with sliced palmito, sweet corn and a light white sauce, then baked under melted cheese until bubbling. Overcooking the rice at the start is the usual mistake; it keeps softening in the oven, so cook it just tender. Costa Rica's Turrialba cheese and most mozzarella use animal rennet, so choose a vegetarian melting cheese if needed. Chef's tip: slice the palm hearts into coins rather than chopping them; they keep their delicate, artichoke-like bite.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ lb cooked long-grain ricefrom about 250 g raw, cooled
- 14 oz hearts of palmtinned, drained, in 1 cm coins
- 5 ½ oz sweet corn kernels
- 1 onionfinely chopped
- 1 red sweet pepperfinely chopped
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the white sauce
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
To finish
- 7 oz mozzarella or mild melting cheesegrated; vegetarian if needed
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan). Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan and soften 1 onion and 1 red sweet pepper.
8 minStep 2: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a pan, stir in 3 tbsp plain flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in 2 cups milk gradually and simmer, whisking, until the sauce coats a spoon. Season with 1 tsp salt and 1 pinch ground nutmeg.
7 minStep 3: Fold 1 ⅓ lb cooked long-grain rice, 14 oz hearts of palm, 5 ½ oz sweet corn kernels, the softened vegetables and two-thirds of the sauce together, then spread in a buttered baking dish.
Step 4: Spoon the rest of the sauce over and scatter 7 oz mozzarella or mild melting cheese on top.
Step 5: Bake for 20–25 minutes until bubbling at the edges and golden on top. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arroz con palmito take?
- About 45 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of cooked long-grain rice?
- Any cooked rice, cold (day-old rice fries best).
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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