Puerto Rican Cauliflower Yellow Rice
Puerto Rican Cauliflower Yellow Rice brings all the color, warmth, and achiote flavor of Puerto Rican arroz amarillo to the table, without the rice. It’s a satisfying alternative to rice that still delivers the flavors you expect from a traditional Puerto Rican kitchen.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 7kcal
Equipment
- 1 Lodge braiser
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower diced
- 1 strip bacon diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp sofrito
- 1 tsp adobo
- 1 tbsp achiote oil
Instructions
- Remove the leaves and trim the stem. Break the head into florets, then chop them finely with a chef's knife until you have small, rice-sized pieces. Work in sections and aim for an even size; this helps everything cook at the same rate. A food processor with a grater attachment does the same job faster if you prefer. But you get greater control of the cuts with the knife.
- Place the diced bacon in a cold braiser and bring the heat up to medium. Starting in a cold pan gives the fat time to render slowly and evenly. Cook until the fat is released and the bacon pieces are beginning to crisp at the edges. You are welcome to add a bit of olive oil to help the bacon come along if you need to.
- Add the onion, sofrito, and garlic directly to the bacon fat. Stir to combine, then cook over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent and the sofrito has cooked down into the fat, about 4 to 5 minutes. The pan should smell like the beginning of every good Puerto Rican dish.
- Add the riced cauliflower to the pan and drizzle the achiote oil over it. Sprinkle the adobo evenly across the top. Toss everything together until the cauliflower is fully coated and the color begins to spread; that golden-orange should reach every corner of the pan. Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and deeply colored, about 6 to 8 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving.
Notes
- Frozen riced cauliflower works with one condition: do not thaw it. Thawing the cauliflower will release all the liquid, whereas adding the frozen cauliflower to a hot pan will create steam, which will aid the cooking process. If the cauliflower is already thawed, place it on paper towels to drain excess liquid.
- When using frozen sofrito. If you keep sofrito frozen in ice cube trays, one to two cubes dropped into the hot bacon fat works perfectly here.
- Start the bacon in a cold pan. Dropping diced bacon into an already-hot pan causes it to seize rather than render slowly. A cold start gives the fat time to release gradually and gives you a better cooking base for everything that follows.
- Season in layers. The bacon brings salt, the sofrito brings depth, and the adobo finishes the dish. Taste before you reach for more seasoning; the bacon and adobo together can increase the salt levels.
- Rice the cauliflower with a knife for better texture. A food processor is faster but tends to produce uneven pieces, some too fine, some too chunky. A chef's knife gives you more control and a more consistent result that more closely mimics rice. Plus it is a great way to practice your knife skills.
- Reheat in a dry pan. Cauliflower yellow rice reheats well over medium heat with a small drizzle of achiote oil to bring back its color and moisture. A microwave always works, but it softens the texture more than a hot pan will.
Nutrition
Serving: 4ounces | Calories: 7kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 18mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
