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1
Soak and cook the beans
60 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F), then gentle simmer about 95°C (200°F)
Cover the soaked beans with fresh cold water and the bay leaves, boil hard for 10 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer until the beans are tender but still whole, about 45 minutes. Do not add salt yet.
Boiling the beans hard for the first 10 minutes is the classic way to cook dried beans safely, and salting late keeps the skins tender.
Done when: Beans are tender when squeezed, skins intact, not mushy.
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2
Fry the garlic and onion
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 175°C (350°F)
Heat the olive oil in a small pan, add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more until fragrant.
Do not brown the garlic — golden is fragrant, brown is bitter.
Done when: Onion is soft and translucent, garlic is fragrant and pale gold.
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3
Cook the rice separately
20 Mins
Boiling water, 100°C (212°F), then low simmer about 95°C (200°F)
In a second pot, heat half the fried onion and garlic in a little oil, add the rinsed rice and stir for 1 minute. Pour in 600 ml of boiling water, cover tightly and cook on the lowest heat for 15 minutes without lifting the lid, then rest for 5 minutes.
Resist peeking — every lift of the lid lets out the steam the rice needs.
Done when: Liquid absorbed, grains separate and fluffy.
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4
Season the beans
10 Mins
Low heat, about 95°C (200°F)
Stir the remaining fried onion and garlic into the beans with the salt. Mash a spoonful of beans against the side of the pot and stir it back in to thicken the broth slightly, then simmer for 5 minutes more. Fish out the bay leaves.
Mashing a spoonful of beans is the Brazilian trick for a broth that coats the rice.
Done when: Broth is lightly thickened and glossy, beans are whole and tender.
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5
Plate side by side
5 Mins
No heat — serving temperature, about 60°C (140°F)
Spoon the rice onto one side of each warm plate and the beans onto the other side, so the two stay separate. Scatter spring onions over the beans and serve at once.
Plate the rice and beans side by side, never mixed in the pot — that is the Brazilian way.
Done when: Rice is white and fluffy on one side, beans dark and glossy on the other.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Spoon the rice and beans side by side on warm plates — never mixed in the pot — and serve with whatever main the day brings.
Brazil
1h 5m
