Annatto: The Midas Touch

I’ve always had a fondness for gold food.

I love the earthy gold color of sauteed onions, the russet gold of roast chicken, the hot sunshine gold of a star fruit. I love the regal red-gold that saffron imparts to paella and risotto Milanese. But it wasn’t until I moved to Miami that I experienced the most golden of edible gold: the rich, rusty gold of annatto.

Annatto is the triangular, rust-colored seed of the Bixa orellana , a short bush native to Central America. Although not well known in this country, it’s a mainstay of the cuisines of the Caribbean, Central and South America, and the Philippines. Annatto is prized for the rusty gold hue it gives rice, pork and chicken dishes. Its scent is richly aromatic, while its flavor is mild but distinctive, hinting at paprika and orange.

Annatto was, no doubt, an essential ingredient in pre-Columbian cooking. But what initially impressed the early explorers was the seed’s use as a cosmetic and insect repellent.

“Annatto protects their skin from sunburn, mosquitoes and sand flies,” observed a French explorer, writing about the natives of the Antilles. (A cosmetic manufacturer in St. Barthelemy still uses annatto seeds in some of his lotions.) The cannibalistic Carib Indians smeared their faces with fierce red annatto war paint.

In the Spanish Caribbean, especially in Puerto Rico, annatto is simmered with oil or lard to make a golden fat used for cooking meats, rice and sofrito. In the Yucatan, it is pureed with garlic, onions and orange juice to make a seasoning for pit-roasted pork. Nicaraguans marinate pork loin and pork sausage in a tangy paste of annatto seeds and vinegar. Without it, Cuba’s famous arroz con pollo (chicken with rice) would look positively anemic.

But even if you’ve never tasted any of these dishes, you’ve probably experienced annatto. The red-hued seed is the traditional coloring for Leicester and Cheshire cheese.

Annatto can be found at most Hispanic and Caribbean food markets and in the ethnic food section of many supermarkets. It’s sometimes sold by its Mexican name, achiote , or by its French West Indian name, roucou. As with most spices, it is best bought at a store that has a fast turnover. Avoid dust-covered bottles and try to use annatto within six months of purchase.

In traditional Cuban and Puerto Rican cooking, foods are fried in annatto-flavored lard. Annatto oil (made from canola or olive oil) has a similar flavor and won’t wreak havoc with cholesterol levels.

To make annatto oil, heat one cup oil in a heavy skillet over a medium flame. Add one-half cup annatto seeds and cook for 30 to 60 seconds or until the oil turns golden. (The best way to check the color is to look at the oil in a spoon. Don’t worry if the seeds pop and sputter--this indicates that the annatto is fresh.) Strain the oil into a bowl and let cool.

Use annatto oil for frying onions, browning pork or chicken, or for perking up salad dressings. Many Puerto Rican and Cuban recipes start with sofrito , a fragrant mixture of onions, bell peppers, garlic and cilantro fried in annatto oil. Stored in a jar, annatto oil will keep for months, even at room temperature.

To make a Nicaraguan marinade for pork, gently simmer three to four tablespoons of seeds in a quarter cup vinegar or sour orange juice for 10 minutes or until tender. Add one teaspoon salt (or to taste) and puree the mixture in a spice mill or mortar and pestle. To increase the flavor, lightly roast the seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat for one to two minutes before simmering. This quantity of paste is enough for 1 1/2 pounds of pork.

To make a Yucatan spice paste, bake one small onion and six cloves of garlic in their skins in a moderate oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile, roast two tablespoons annatto seeds, one-half teaspoon cumin seeds, one-half teaspoon dried oregano, 10 peppercorns and one cinnamon stick in a dry skillet over low heat until fragrant. Combine the spices with three tablespoons orange juice or lime juice and let stand for 10 minutes. Puree the spice mixture with the onions and garlic (peeled) in a blender or mortar and pestle. This mixture is particularly good as a marinade for swordfish and chicken breasts.

Warning: Take care not to spill annatto oil or annatto marinades. The orange stains are very difficult to remove from clothing and carpet.

Arroz Con Pollo is one of the glories of Cuban cooking. I like to think of it as a landlubber’s paella. Valencia-style rice is a short-grain rice similar to Italian arborio. Look for it at Hispanic grocery stores or in the ethnic food section of most supermarkets, or substitute arborio rice.

ARROZ CON POLLO (Chicken and Yellow Rice)

1 chicken, cut into 8 equal pieces

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons annatto seeds

1 onion, finely chopped

1 sweet red pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 small tomato, seeded and diced

Water

1 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups beer

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/4 cup pitted green olives

Salt, pepper

1 pound short-grain Valencia or arborio rice

1/2 cup cooked green peas

2 pimientos, diced

In non-metallic bowl, combine chicken with oregano, cumin, white pepper and lime juice. Mix well and marinate 15 minutes.

Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add annatto seeds and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until oil turns golden. Strain oil and discard seeds.

Return 1 tablespoon golden annatto oil to pot and heat over medium heat. Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Add chicken to hot oil and brown on all sides. Transfer chicken to platter and pour off fat.

Heat remaining 3 tablespoons annatto oil in pot. Add onion, sweet red pepper, garlic and cilantro and cook over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until tender but not brown.

Add tomato and cook another minute. Add chicken and reserved marinade, 3 cups water, wine, beer, tomato paste and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. (Recipe can be prepared ahead to this stage.)

Thoroughly wash rice and place in bowl with cold water to cover. Swirl with fingers and pour off water. Continue adding water and swirling and draining rice until water runs clear. Drain rice.

About 30 minutes before serving, bring chicken mixture to boil. Stir in rice. Reduce heat, cover pan and gently simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender. If rice starts to dry out, add more water. If mixture looks too soupy, remove cover during last 5 minutes of cooking.

Just before rice is cooked, stir in half of peas and pimientos. Use remainder to decorate dish. Serve at once. Makes 4 servings.