Arroz Blanco con Mantequilla

Buttery rice with poblano, carrots, and corn There are a few recipes in this book that have become my “go-to” and this is definitely one of them. It was very unexpected, too, because I love arroz rojo and eat it exclusively with all Mexican food. Or, rather, I used to. But this rice—slightly sweet from the carrots and onions and almost creamy thanks to the starchiness of the rice combined with the richness and incredible flavor of the butter—hit me hard and has stayed with me. I was in Durango and found an amazing restaurant that served regional dishes from around the state. One of the many things that I ate on my multiple visits were the enchiladas dulces, an iconic dish from Durango made with chile guajillo chocolate and piloncillo (dark brown sugar). Now, the enchiladas were good—a bit too sweet, even for me, but the star of that plate was the rice that accompanied them. I was blown away, and it was the butter that did it. Butter is not a commonly used ingredient in most of the country, but it is used in the dairy-rich regions of the northern states. Arroz blanco has since become my favorite Mexican rice.