Smokey Jollof Rice Recipe

Rinse rice

Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs almost clear to remove excess starch. Drain well and set aside.

Make the blended base (sofrito)

In a blender, combine the tomatoes (or canned tomatoes drained), red bell peppers, scotch bonnet (or habanero), one quartered onion, garlic cloves and ginger. Blitz to a smooth purée. If your blender is small, do in batches. Set aside.

Cookdown tomato paste

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and sauté, stirring constantly, until it darkens to a deep red and loses the raw edge, about 6–8 minutes. This step builds depth and reduces raw tomato flavor; watch closely to avoid burning.

Build the sofrito

Add the sliced onion and diced carrot to the pot with the tomato paste. Sauté 4–5 minutes until softened. Pour in the blended tomato-pepper purée, stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cook the sauce over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the oil separates (you'll see oil rising to the surface), about 15–20 minutes. Stir in smoked paprika and ground crayfish (if using) halfway through cooking.

Season sauce & add stock

Taste the sauce and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper (you'll adjust later). Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the bay leaf and fresh thyme. Pour in 1 cup of the stock to deglaze the pot, scraping any browned bits, then add the remaining stock and bring to a gentle boil.

Combine rice and simmer

Stir the drained rice into the boiling sauce/stock mixture. Reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid (or seal with foil then lid) and let cook undisturbed until rice has absorbed most liquid, about 18–22 minutes depending on rice type. Do NOT stir frequently — disturbing causes mushy rice.

Check and steam

After the initial cooking time, lift the lid and check a few grains for doneness. If rice is cooked but a small amount of liquid remains, turn off the heat and let sit covered for 8–10 minutes to steam. If still undercooked with no liquid, add 2–4 tablespoons hot stock or water, cover and continue cooking 3–5 minutes.

Introduce smokey flavor

If using liquid smoke, mix it with 1 tablespoon oil and drizzle evenly over the rice before the final steam; use no more than 1/4 tsp liquid smoke for the full pot. If using smoked fish, flake and fold in during this stage. Alternatively, for a more authentic charred note, heat a small cast-iron skillet until very hot and carefully place it in the center of the rice pot, cover quickly and let sit 4–6 minutes to impart a light smoky/charred aroma (exercise caution).

Fold in peas and rest

After steaming, gently fluff the rice with a fork, fold in the frozen peas (they will warm from residual heat) and the chopped parsley or cilantro. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Serve

Spoon the Smokey Jollof Rice onto a platter or into bowls. Garnish with extra herbs and serve hot alongside fried plantain, protein of choice, or a simple salad.