It is Good Friday in the Republic of Panama.
Yesterday, as we drove down the mountain with our two electricians to their bus stops, I asked as best I could if a party would be held tonight. No, I was told, Good Friday is a very tranquil family time. They would go to church with the relatives and not speak out loud to anyone until Saturday noon. I had already been told that as of Thursday at noon, no alcohol would be available for sale nation-wide.
Today, we drove down the mountain again, this time to the center of town at about 5:00 PM, to see that there was indeed a party going full blast! It is all about your tradition, I guess. Outside of Panama City, you will find a culture of simple, poor people finding ways to celebrate and enjoy their lives. In Boquete, there is a sort of county fairgrounds. It is filled to the overflowing with flowering plants. For this long weekend, it also sported carnival rides, craft vendors and massive crowds here for the celebration called the Orchid Festival.
Panama cuisine is generally bland as a lot of comfort food is. Consider creamed potatoes whipped to perfection with salt, pepper, butter and milk. Simple, bland, but oh so good! The equivalent in Panama is frijoles and arroz (beans and rice). No, I’m not talking a Cajun recipe here, although it has a lot of similarities. Even so, you cannot call Cajun red beans and rice bland!
No, the idea here is to be filling, inexpensive AND delicious.
The truth is, none of the restaurants or home cooks here in Boquete have given me their recipe for Beans and Rice Tipico. I doubt that’s going to happen in the foreseeable future. So, what follows is my take on the dish after several encounters, and I might add, what I am enjoying tonight with my bride.
- ¾ Pound Red Beans (Kidney)
- 1 Slice of Yellow Onion ½" Thick
- ½ Jalapeno Pepper (Seed if You Want Less Heat)
- ¼ Green Bell Pepper in a Single Piece
- 1 4" Long Piece of Carrot, Peeled, Halved Lengthwise
- 1 4" Long Piece of Smoked Sausage, Halved Lengthwise (Use More at Your Option)
- 2 Cloves of Garlic, Crushed and Peeled
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 Small Bay Leaf (or Half of a Regular Sized One)
- 1 Pinch of Dried Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup White Rice
- Pick through the beans and discard any foreign objects and bad beans. Place remaining beans in a pot that has a lid and fill with water to 2" above the beans. Cover and soak overnight.
- Drain all of the soaking water and add fresh water to cover the beans and 2" more. Add all of the ingredients, except the salt. Place the lid on the pot and simmer on Low. Check the beans' progress hourly and add water as necessary to keep the beans just submerged. Cook until they are tender but still firm. Remove all of the vegetables at this point, leaving the sausage. Add the salt and stir.
- Continue to simmer until the beans become soft and the liquid creamy. Use the back of a large spoon to crush one-quarter of the beans against the side of the pot to thicken the sauce.
- Place 1½ cup water in a sauce pan along with 1 tablespoon butter and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, add rice, stir, cover. Adjust heat to the lowest possible setting and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and allow rice to rest 5 minutes before removing the cover and fluffing with a fork.
- Serve red beans and sauce over rice. Cole slaw and hot French bread are great on the side!
Credits: Thanks to Chapter128 for the beans in a pot picture!
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