Arroz Blanco con Concón (Dominican White Rice with Crispy Bottom)
Local name: Arroz blanco con concón
In short: Fluffy long-grain rice cooked with garlic and oil, finished with a golden, crackling layer at the bottom of the pot called concón. It takes about 40 min in total and makes 4 servings.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 325 kcal
White rice is the base of every Dominican lunch, served beside stewed beans and meat, and a good pot has a prize on the bottom: concón, a golden, crackling layer of toasted rice. The rice is stirred briefly in oil with garlic, cooked in just enough water, then covered and left on very low heat so the bottom turns crisp without burning. The grains stay separate and fluffy on top. A heavy pot and patience are all you need.
Instructions
- Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain well.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot (a caldero is ideal) over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the rice and stir for 1 minute, until the grains are coated and slightly translucent at the edges.
- Pour in the water, add the salt and stir once. Bring to a boil and cook uncovered, without stirring, until the water has cooked down to the level of the rice and bubbles show on the surface, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Stir once from the bottom, pushing the rice into a mound. Cover tightly, lower the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Remove the garlic, fluff the top layer with a fork and spoon it out.
- Loosen the golden crust from the bottom of the pot with a spatula and serve it in pieces alongside the rice.
Tips
- A heavy-bottomed pot spreads the heat so the bottom crisps instead of burning. Do not stir once the lid is on.
- For a thicker concón, raise the heat to medium-low for the last 5 minutes of cooking and listen for gentle crackling.
Questions and answers
What is concón?
It is the toasted layer of rice that forms at the bottom of the pot. It is crunchy and nutty, and in Dominican homes it is shared as a treat.
Why is my rice sticky?
Usually too much water, too much stirring or rice that was not rinsed. Rinse until the water is almost clear, measure the water and stir only once.
How do I reheat leftover rice?
Cool it within an hour and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of water, covered, in the microwave or in a pan until steaming hot.
How long does it take to make Arroz Blanco con Concón (Dominican White Rice with Crispy Bottom)?
About 40 min in total: 5 min of preparation and 35 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Arroz Blanco con Concón (Dominican White Rice with Crispy Bottom)?
About 325 kcal per serving, with 6 g of protein, 59 g of carbohydrates and 7 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 325 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 59 g |
| Fat | 7 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 0 g |
| Sodium | 580 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
