Arroz de Tomate | Portuguese Tomato Rice

Cut a cross in the top of each tomato and place them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer them to ice water and peel off the skins. Halve the tomatoes and grate them on the large holes of a box grater; discard the remaining skin. Do not discard the juices from the seeds; they provide some of the liquid for the rice.

Add the grated tomatoes, bay leaf, salt, and sugar and cook over medium heat. The sugar is not there to sweeten the dish, but to balance the tomatoes’ acidity. The mixture is ready when it thickens and oil separates around the edges and rises to the surface; if you add the rice before this point, the dish will taste of raw tomato.

Pour in all the hot water at once. Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally; if covered, the rice will absorb the liquid and will not stay soupy. Take it off the heat when the rice feels tender on your tongue but there is still visible liquid in the pot.

Remove the bay leaf, grind in the black pepper, and stir in the chopped cilantro. The rice should flow slowly off a spoon rather than hold its shape. Serve hot alongside grilled fish or chicken.