Arroz rojo

Step 1: Rinse 10 ½ oz long-grain white rice in a sieve under cold water, rubbing it with your fingers, until the water runs nearly clear. Washing off the surface starch is what keeps the grains separate.

Step 2: Shake the sieve well and spread the rice on a tray or tea towel to dry for 10 minutes. Wet rice steams instead of toasting and sticks to the pan.

Step 3: Blend 9 oz ripe tomatoes, ¼ white onion and 1 clove garlic until completely smooth, then sieve into a measuring jug. Top up with 2 cups vegetable stock to make 750 ml of liquid in total. Getting the ratio right matters more than the timing: too much liquid gives mushy rice.

Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a wide pan with a tight-fitting lid over a medium heat. Add the rice and stir to coat every grain.

Step 5: Fry the rice, stirring often, for 5–6 minutes. The grains turn chalky white and opaque, then pale golden, and start to click and rattle against the pan like sand. Toasting seals the outside of each grain so it holds its shape. Stop at golden; brown rice tastes burnt.

Step 6: Pour in the tomato liquid. It will spit, so stand back. Stir once, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Step 7: Add 1 carrot, 2 ⅞ oz frozen peas, 1 serrano chilli, 3 sprigs fresh coriander and 1 tsp salt. Taste the liquid: it should be a little saltier than you would like a soup, as the rice absorbs the seasoning.

Step 8: Bring to a lively boil over a medium-high heat and let it bubble uncovered until the liquid drops to just level with the rice and small craters appear on the surface, 3–4 minutes.

Step 9: Turn the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes. Don't lift the lid or stir: you lose the steam that cooks the top layer, and stirring releases starch and makes it sticky. If your lid is loose, put a tea towel under it.

Step 10: Turn off the heat and leave covered for 5 minutes so the grains firm up and finish cooking evenly.

Step 11: Remove the coriander and chilli and fluff the rice gently with a fork, lifting it from the bottom. If the top grains are still a little hard, sprinkle on 2 tablespoons of hot water, cover and leave 5 minutes more.

Step 12: Serve hot. It keeps 3 days in the fridge or 2 months frozen. Cool it quickly after cooking, and reheat with a splash of water, covered, until steaming hot all the way through.