My grandmother, Margarita, was a caring woman from Tabasco, in the south-east of Mexico. I never cooked arroz de novios with her. Her recipe was, of course, delicious but the most important thing for me is what it still represents; a dish to celebrate and share with loved ones.
To me, the rice in this dish makes it one of those dishes that feeds the soul. Although it’s really not just about the dish itself, it’s the ceremony that goes with it. It reminds me of a loving grandma, the people I once shared her table with and the perfect smell and texture chicken offal gives to the plate. This whole experience is one of the memories with my grandmother I cherish the most.
Chef Enrique Olvera, Mexico
Feeds 6
Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, chopped in half
1 onion, sliced
80g fresh parsley, chopped
pinch nutmeg
1 chicken stock cube dissolved in 125ml water
250g chicken livers
250g chicken sweetbreads (make sure to wash them very well and cut them into little pieces for rapid cooking and if you can’t get them, use 500g chicken livers)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cracked black pepper
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried oregano (preferably from Tabasco, Mexico!)
450g rice, washed and drained
Method
In a large pot, heat the oil on medium heat and stir-fry the garlic and onion. When the onion turns clear, add the chopped parsley (save some for garnish) and take off the heat.
Then, in a blender, blitz the stir-fried onion, garlic and parsley with the nutmeg and stock.
Stir-fry the chicken livers and sweetbreads in the same large pot, adding a little oil if you need. Add the bay leaves, pepper, turmeric, oregano and the blender mix.
Cook on a medium heat for twenty minutes. If it dries, lower the heat and add a little more water.
Incorporate the previously washed and drained rice and add 1l of water.
Add salt and maintain a low heat so that the rice does not burn.
When the rice is cooked, garnish with some chopped parsley.