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Congrí (Cuban Black Beans and Rice)

Name: Congrí (Cuban Black Beans and Rice)
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250g dried Black beans; 100 g Bacon bits; 300 g Rice; 1 Onion; 1 Bell pepper; 3 cloves Garlic; 2 leaves Feuille de laurier; 1 tsp Cumin

Preparation time: 1 h
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Black beans — to buy250g dried
Bacon bits — to buy100 g
Rice — to buy300 g
Onion — to buy1
Bell pepper — to buy1
Garlic — to buy3 cloves
Feuille de laurier — to buy2 leaves
Cumin — to buy1 tsp

Preparation

The night before, soak the black beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight: this noticeably shortens their cooking time and makes them easier to digest.
Drain the beans, cover them again with cold water in a pot with 1 bay leaf, bring to a boil then simmer covered over low heat for 45 minutes, until tender but still firm. Set aside 400ml of their cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon lardons in a large pot over medium heat for 5 minutes, until they render their fat and turn lightly golden.
Add the chopped onion, pepper and garlic, cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are translucent and fragrant.
Add the cumin and stir for 30 seconds to toast it lightly, then pour in the raw rice and stir for 1 minute to coat it well.
Add the drained beans with their reserved cooking liquid, season with salt, bring to a boil then cover and simmer over very low heat for 18 minutes without lifting the lid, until the rice has absorbed all the liquid.
Let it rest covered off the heat for 5 minutes, remove the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a fork and serve hot — even better with tostones on the side.