Black Beans and White Rice, Spanish Style

One of the best rice-and-bean dishes. The technique of semipuréeing the half-cooked beans and adding the rice allows the bean flavor to really penetrate the rice. Throw it in the oven and an hour later you have a one-pot meal with an appealingly crisp crust

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 red or yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3/4 cup dried black beans, washed, picked over, and soaked if you have time

11/2 cups long-grain rice

1 cup chopped tomato (canned is fine; include the juices)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley or fresh cilantro leaves

• Put the oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water.
• Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low so that the mixture bubbles gently. Cover loosely and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary, until the beans are about half-done—softening but still tough in the middle—about 40 minutes (an hour or more if you didn’t soak the beans at all). Heat the oven to 350°F.
• Use an immersion blender or a potato masher to semipurée the beans in the pot (leave at least half unpuréed).
• Stir in the rice, tomato, and a good amount of salt and pepper. (If you don’t want a crust to develop, cover the pot.) Bake in the oven until the rice and beans are tender, about an hour, adding a little water if needed. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and serve or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days (reheat and stir in a little water and olive oil just before serving).
  Baked Rice and White Beans, Tuscan Style.
  • Omit the onion and tomato; the bell pepper is optional: Substitute white beans (like cannellini, navy, or Great Northern) for the black and add 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or just under 1 tablespoon dried) in Step 1. Proceed with the recipe and drizzle with good extra virgin olive oil just before serving.
    Baked Rice and Red Kidney Beans, Jamaican Style.
    • With coconut milk, irresistible: Replace the bell pepper with a fresh hot chile, the black beans with red kidney beans, and a 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk for the tomato. In Step 3, add about 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried thyme, to taste.
  • MAKES: 4 to 6 servings
  • TIME: About 2 hours, largely unattended