In Nuyorican culture, sausage and rice has always been a staple. Back on the block it was almost always spicy Spanish chorizo sausage that was added. And invariably we paired it with bell pepper or, what we call, pimientos. Initially  it was green bell peppers. Then we discover red bell peppers and that became our favorite. We just love its taste, and it looked great when presenting a dish. Which leads to today’s rendition, Sausage with Peppers and Cumin Rice. The sausage can be pork sausage like chorizo, Italian sausage or any any other inclusive of turkey or chicken sausage. Back then the rice was either plain boiled rice or Spanish yellow rice—until we discovered cumin rice, popular in North African and Middle Eastern cuisine.

In this combo dish, I would start with the sausage in the oven. Then preparing the rice and, as it simmers, complete the sausage recipe. Note that some sausage comes with a casing. If so, remove the casing first before cooking.

This dish has a spicy edge to it which we in the Rivera family favor. In this case, for a beverage to accompany the meal we recommend a chilled rosé wine or a Beaujolais, or even beer.

SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS AND CUMIN RICE

Ingredients:

1½ pounds sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced into rounds
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 large red bell pepper, rinsed, seeded, cored and sliced into ¼-inch strips
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Prick the sausage with a knife or fork and cook in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes.
2.  In a large skillet or fry pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. garlic, and stir fry until wilted.
3.  Add red pepper and cook 4 minutes longer.  Remove sausage from oven. Slice into small rounds (¼ to ½-inch) and combine with vegetables in skillet. Add salt and pepper. Cook, covered, until sausage is done. Serve with cumin rice (recipe bellow)
   Yield: 4 servings.

CUMIN RICE

Ingredients:

1 cup rice
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and black pepper to taste
1½ cups fresh or canned chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
1 bay leaf

Instructions:

1. Rinse  rice in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear. In Pennsylvania Dutch country this is known as “washing rice in several waters.” This removes excess starch from the rice, resulting in grains that are more separate when cooked.
2.  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy saucepan or pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until wilted. Add rice, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir briefly over low hear until the grains are covered with butter.
3.  Stir in the broth and make sure there are no lumps in the rice. Add parsley, thyme and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
4.  Discard the thyme leaves and bay leaf. Stir in the remaining butter and serve with the sausage and peppers.
   Yield: 4 servings.