Jamaican Rice and peas - coconut milk

Method

• Cooking If you are using fresh peas (kidney, gungo or green beans) then wash these
• Pour on three cups of water and leave to soak overnight for red peas, For gungo peas soak for 4-5 hours and max 1 hour for green peas (nb - there is no need to do this if you are using tinned peas)
• Pressure the peas in pressure cooker with additional 4 cups of water or up to 1 inside the pressure cooker for 20-23 minutes (This is not necessary for green beans or tinned peas)
• You can test to see if the peas are cooked by crushing two of them against the lid of the pot or with a spoon.
• If they crush easily you can move on to the next step
• Slice the onions fine and fry until soft in the oil
• Add a sprig of the fresh thyme, pimento with low heat
• Crush the garlic cloves in and continue to fry for 3 mins
• Add the beans/peas (If using tinned peas drain from can)
• Wash the rice with water and drain as much water as possible without spilling the rice
• Add Rice
• Before adding coconut milk /coconut flakes it is important to take note of how much water is already in the pot note that coconut milk is about 8.5 oz or 1/4 inch if you need to throw off water now is the time but make sure the water is about 1 inch above the rice and peas.
• Therefore 3/4 inch of water should already be in the pot to add coconut milk but to add coconut flakes 1 inch should be in the pot
• Add the coconut milk, stir.
• (boil for 1 minute)
• Add butter
• Add Crushed escallion previously stripped of old foliage and washed
• Add seasoning salt and pepper, stir fried seasoning and scotch bonnet pepper (you can stick a fork in the pepper for added flavour) Optional brown sugar
• Give it 1 good stir,taste if enough seasoning.
• Cover your pot and leave to cook on medium-high heat for 8 mins or at least watch the pot after 5 minutes until the liquid has been boiled out but not completely boiled and stir 1 little to ensure the rice didn't stick to the bottom note that if you stir it too much, your rice can get mushy.
• Cover the pot and turn on low heat and let rice cook 7 mins.
• Remove whole pepper from the pot.
• Just let rice cook, stir a couple more times after 5 minutes just to make sure the rice isn't sticking to the bottom when you check it to see if the rice is done.
• (optional add another tablespoon of butter)
• Note: If you notice the liquid is drying up but the rice is still not fully cook through, just add little more water as appropriate,cover the lid and continue to cook
• The Rice and Peas is now ready to serve when the rice is white in colour and swollen!