"Diriz ak Aranso"
Rice & Smoked Herring

This particular recipe is near and dear to my heart. Reason being is that it's the very first pot of rice I have ever made! I cannot recall exactly how old I was but I may have been in the 4th or 5th grade at the time. I vividly remember the house we used to live in and it was in Kissimmee, FL. I wasn't tall enough to reach the stove at a good level so I literally stood on a chair. My mom was around to supervise of course, although I didn't want her input during the cooking process. I'm not sure what made me decide to cook this particular rice as my first trial. I don't even use "aronso" much even now. Mainly because of it's strong scent and for the fact that where I've been living, it's been very hard to find. 
What I distinctively remember is how spicy I made this dish. Literally mouth burning spicy and that's what made it so enjoyable. I had my grandma sample it at the time and she tried to encourage me that it was "good" but it had one main problem. It was "kri" and "li pa gin koule"... Basically, my grandma told me that my first pot of rice was undercooked and didn't have any color. Apparently I didn't put enough water or I put in too much rice and I didn't use any tomato paste. The flavor was there but it wasn't cooked all the way! And on another note, if you're not making plain white rice, all other rice should have some kind of "color" to it. Lesson learned. 

With this recipe, I want to make it as close to what I remember during my very first time, minus the undercooked part. It's one of those dishes that brings back memories to my childhood days. "Aronso" is one of those things that you either hate it or love it. We Haitians enjoy it a variety of ways, especially in sauces to pour over "bannann". It's just one of those things you've got to try at least once. 

Ingredients:

2 cups Jasmine Rice
1 cup frozen Mixed Vegetables
3 - 5 strips Smoked Herring fillets (Aranso)
½ - 1 medium Onion
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tbsps. Butter
1 Habenero Pepper
Pinch of Cloves (Jirof)
​2 tbsps. Oil
​4 cups water
Goya Adobo and/or Salt to Taste

Directions:

1. Smoked herring comes in different packaging. They can be sold with the heads still on, completely dried, etc. This particular recipe calls for the fillets. Another thing to keep in mind is how salty these can be. After slicing up 3 - 5 fillets, soak in water, drain, and repeat a few times to reduce some of the saltiness. 
2. To a medium pot on high heat, add 2 tbsps. oil along with the sliced herring and diced onions. Stir and saute for about 2 minutes. 
3. Add the mixed vegetables and the minced garlic. Stir well to combine. Saute for an additional minute or two. 
4. Add 4 cups of water, the cloves, and a habenero pepper. Be considerate of the size of your hot pepper. Since this is a smaller quantity of rice than my usual recipes, I didn't want the hot pepper to overwhelm the dish. I also decided to use a green hot pepper which is upripened and milder than when it turns color. I have pierced this hot pepper to help facilitate the spicyness to the liquid. Allow the liquid to come to a boil. 
5. At this point you can sample the liquid for taste. Add Goya Adobo and/or salt to taste. Pour in the rice, stir, and continue to let it cook. Again, sample and add seasoning accordingly. Be sure to assess how spicy the liquid gets with the hot pepper in there. As the water begins to reduce, add in the 2 tbsps. of butter and mix well. 
6. Reduce the heat to medium as the water reduces about half way, stirring occassionally. Once the water reduces to the level of the rice, remove, the hot pepper, cover the pot with it's lid, and reduce the heat to medium low. Allow it to steam for about 20 minutes or until cooked through. 
Once cooked through, the "Diriz ak Aronso" is ready to be served. Be careful with the extra kick that this dish will have!
Posted September 1, 2018
Are you a fan of "aranso"? What are your thoughts on this recipe?
​Let me know and comment below!