GUYANESE COOK UP RICE

A one pot heritage dish from my mom, “Sparkles”

Cook-Up Rice is one of those dishes that carries real history. It’s not just something you make, it’s something that’s been passed down adjusted by feel and built from whatever was available. Traditionally made at the end of the week, it was about stretching what you had and turning it into something filling, flavorful and meant to feed everyone.

Growing up, this was one of those pots that brought everything together. My mom, Sparkles has been cooking and selling food for over 40 years and dishes like this are what built her name.  I’ll say this confidently, she makes the absolute BEST cook up rice!It’s one of her staple dishes and people will come from near and far just to get a plate from her. That’s how you know it’s real.

What I love about cook up rice is how flexible it is. You can use different meats, different peas and still get something that feels complete. Black eyed peas, split peas, pigeon peas, chana…whatever you have, it works. It’s hearty, rich from the coconut milk and full of flavor from the meats and aromatics.

This is one of those meals that fills the pot and the table.

Yield: Serves 8–10 | About 1 hour 30 minutes active (plus soaking time) | Very doable

Ingredients

Meats (customizable mix, about double the amount of rice)

• 1 lb salted cured beef, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 lb salted cured oxtail, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 lb smoked turkey neck, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 lb chicken leg quarters, cut into 1” pieces

Base

• 2–2½ cups parboiled long grain rice, rinsed
• 1 cup yellow split peas or black eyed peas, soaked overnight in 2 cups water
• 1 (13 oz) can coconut milk
• 2 stalks scallion, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 wiri peppers or 1 habanero pepper, diced
• 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsp green seasoning
• 2 tsp Chief Cook Up seasoning
• 1 tsp Guyanese casareep or Gravy Master
• 1 tsp chicken bouillon or 1 chicken cube
• 1½ tsp Dash of Dacy Garlicky Onion Herb (or similar blend)
• 1 tsp Dash of Dacy Adobo Mojo (or similar blend)
• ½ tsp Dash of Dacy All of the Herbs (or similar blend)
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Note:

Cook up rice is meant to be slightly moist not dry and shelly. It shouldn’t be wet like soup, but it should have a soft, rich texture where the rice holds flavor and isn’t dry. Think of it as a balanced, lightly moist finish not too dry, not overly wet.

Method

1. Prep the ingredients

Soak your peas overnight or for at least 6 hours, so they soften and cook evenly.

Cut all meats into 1 inch bite sized pieces. Rinse and clean your meats, use lime juice or vinegar for fresh meats like chicken.

Do not season salted or smoked meats. If using chicken (or chicken feet), season those separately with green seasoning and Dash of Dacy blends.

Pro Tip:

Cook up rice builds flavor in layers. Starting with properly cleaned and prepped meat makes a big difference in the final taste.

 

2. Pre cook the meats and peas

In a large pot, parboil the tougher meats (salted beef, oxtail, turkey neck) for about 45–60 minutes, until just tender. Reserve 2 cups of the meat broth.

In a separate pot, boil the peas for about 20 minutes until slightly softened. Drain and reserve 1 cup of the pea water.

This step ensures everything cooks evenly later and gives you flavorful liquid to build your dish.

3. Sear the chicken

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat vegetable oil over medium heat.

Add your seasoned chicken and sear for about 7–8 minutes, until lightly browned. Add casareep or Gravy Master and stir to coat the chicken without letting it burn.

Pro Tip:

You’re building that base layer of flavor here. Don’t rush this step.

4. Combine meats and aromatics

Add your pre cooked meats into the pot with the chicken.

Stir in scallion, onion, thyme, pepper, green seasoning, chicken bouillon, and coconut milk. Add in the reserved meat broth and semi softened peas along with 1 cup of pea water.

Mix everything together well so the flavors start to come together in the pot.

 

5. Build the cook up

Taste the liquid and adjust seasoning using Cook Up seasoning and Dash of Dacy blends as needed.

Add your rinsed rice. The liquid should sit about 1 inch above the surface of the rice and meat. Use your finger as a guide, liquid should reach your first knuckle.

If there’s too much liquid, remove some and reserve it to add back later if needed. Stir everything together.

Pro Tip:

This step determines your final texture. Too much liquid = too wet. Too little = undercooked or dry. Trust your eye.

 

6. Cook the rice

Bring to a rolling boil over medium high heat. Once the liquid reduces and the rice and meat begin to show, reduce heat to low.

Cover and let steam for 30–40 minutes.

Pro Tip:

Let the pot do its job, avoid opening it too often so the steam can cook everything evenly.

 

7. Rest and serve

Remove from heat and let sit uncovered for about 10 minutes. This allows everything to settle and finish absorbing flavor.

The final dish should be moist, rich and well combined.

Serve warm with a light salad, sliced tomatoes and or cucumbers + your favorite pepper sauce.

 

From My Kitchen

Cook up rice is one of those dishes you learn by doing. Different homes, different versions but the heart of it stays the same.

As long as it’s flavorful, balanced and feeding people the way it’s meant, you did it right.

 

                         RECIPE VIDEO HERE