Diana Kennedy's Well-fried Beans

Here is another Diana Kennedy recipe that knocked our socks off! So yummy!

Diana Kennedy's Well-fried Beans

6 tablespoons lard (1/3 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
3 1/2 to 4 cups of beans with broth (we used 3-4 cans of partially drained pinto beans and it worked great and was much faster than making beans from scratch)

In a very heavy skillet- about 10 inches in diameter -heat the lard and fry the onion, without browning, until soft. Add 1 cup of the beans and their broth and mash well as you cook them; over the high heat. Gradually add the rest of the beans, little by little, mashing them all the time until you have a course puree.

As the puree begins to dry out and sizzle at the edges, it is ready.
Note: beans freeze well  and can always be ready to use; just reheat them. Also, you can use vegetable oil instead of lard. The amount of either lard or oil can also be decreased if you are too nervous.

Diana Kennedy's Mexican Rice

James and I foudn this recipe in a cookbook we found at the library at Christmastime. I can't remember the name, but it was blue and was by Diana Kennedy.  We LOVE this recipe and eat it all the time!

 Diana Kennedy's Mexican Rice

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
1/3 cup vegetable oil
About 1 1/2 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes
1/4 small white onion, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
About 3 1/2 cups well-salted chicken broth
2 tablespoons peas(optional)
1 small carrot (optional)
1 whole sprig of parsley (optional)

For this quantity you will need a heavy-bottomed, flameproof pan about 4 inches deep and 9 inches across.

Pour hot water to cover over the rice and let it stand for about 5 minutes. Drain the rice and rinse well in cold water, then shake the colander well and leave the ice to drain for a few minutes.

Heat the oil. Give the rice a final shake and stir it into the oil until the grains are well covered. Then fry  until just turning color, stirring and turning the rice over so it will cook evenly and will not stick to the pan. This process should take about 10 minutes-depending, of course, on the size of the pan-but should be done over high heat or the rice will become mushy in its final stage. Tip the pan to one side and drain off any excess oil or drain rice in a fine strainer.

Blend the tomatoes, onion, and garlic until smooth--there should be about 1 cup. Add the puree to the fried rice, then, continuing to cook over high, stir and scrape the bottom of the pan until the mixture is dry.

Add the broth, carrot, peas, and parsley. Add salt as necessary, then stir well (do not stir again during the cooking time). Cook over medium heat covered, until the liquid has been absorbed and small air holes appear in the rice. This will take about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and cover the rice with a piece of terry cloth. Cover with  a tightly fitting lid so that no steam can escape, and set aside in a warm place for about 20 minutes, so the rice can continue cooking in its own steam and the grains will expand.

Before serving, loosen the rice with a fork from the bottom.