Adding a Little Spice to Old-Time Spanish Rice

Revising an old American cookbook can be a greater responsibility than anyone imagines. Consider, for example, the case of Spanish rice.

Spanish rice was often found in American cookbooks of the mid-1800s; so, for that matter, were Indian curries. The recipes were almost always very mild versions of the originals, with only a dab of pepper or curry to enliven them.

The Fannie Farmer Cookbook was no exception. When I was revising the 11th edition, I found that the recipe had the “blahs.” Now, the first rule of revision is always that the dish must taste good. After that decisions are made as to ease of preparation, availability of ingredients and keeping the character of the original author’s intent. There really was a Fannie Merritt Farmer, who published her first edition in 1896. I kept all that in mind when I modernized the Spanish rice recipe, but I gave it lots more flavor.

I have just finished my second revision. And I took another look at Spanish rice. It is, after all, a classic of an era when American dishes were innocent, homey and pure. I have puzzled over what should be preserved, but I haven’t quite resolved the question. I finally turned the manuscript in, leaving the last version of Spanish rice intact.

On the horns of this dilemma I turned to one of my favorite early American authors, Sarah Tyson Rorer, and her book, “Mrs. Rorer’s New Cookbook,” published in 1902. Sarah Tyson was a fire-brand--spirited, starchy and very opinionated. She had a far-reaching sense of food and during her time wrote 24 popular cookbooks. She was preoccupied with how fast different foods were digested, and carried on a campaign in favor of rice, her favorite because of its quick digestion time. At the same time she railed against America’s love of pork, which took five hours to digest. “Life,” she used to advise her audiences “is too short to spend in digesting pork.”

Rorer was highly respected for her tasty recipes, and when I turned to her Spanish rice recipe and tested it, she did not disappoint me. It is very, very good. She did not give amounts, but she did write at the end of the recipe, “if this dish is properly cooked and highly seasoned, this is a very delicious dish.”

And it is. I wish I could use this adaptation of Rorer’s recipe in my latest revision, but Tyson and Merritt were competitors, and Fannie Merritt would surely turn over in her grave.

SARA TYSON RORER’S SPANISH RICE

2 1/2 cups water

1 1/2 cups tomatoes with juice, broken up

3 1/2 pounds chicken pieces (thighs, legs and breast)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 cups chopped onions

Salt, pepper

1 cup chopped parsley

1 cup long-grain rice

Combine water, tomatoes with juice, chicken pieces, red pepper flakes and onions in heavy-bottomed pot with lid. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, cover and simmer. Let simmer 20 minutes, turn chicken pieces over. Add more tomato juice or water if liquid evaporates too much.

Add parsley and rice. Stir to mix well. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes longer, checking once or twice to make sure liquid hasn’t all been absorbed by rice (add more liquid if needed). Adjust to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot. Makes 4 servings.

FANNIE FARMER’S SPANISH RICE

1/4 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 cup chopped mushrooms

4 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 cup long-grain rice

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt

2 cups chicken broth

Lightly oil 2-quart casserole. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, celery and mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Transfer to casserole and add tomatoes, rice and pepper. Season to taste with salt. Stir in chicken broth. Cover and bake at 375 degrees 30 minutes. Stir again and bake another 30 minutes. Makes 4 servings.