Name: Party Jollof
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 1 pound (453 g) plum or Roma tomatoes (about 3 large tomatoes), cored and roughly chopped; 2 medium red bell peppers (6 ounces each; 170 g) or 2 red shepherd peppers, stemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped; 1 medium red onion (8 ounces; 225 g), roughly chopped; 1/4 Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, stemmed and seeded; 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) curry-flavored Nigerian stock; 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil such as peanut or vegetable oil, divided; 1 medium red onion (8-ounce; 225 g), thinly sliced, divided; 3 bay leaves; 2 teaspoons Caribbean/Jamaican-style curry powder, plus more if needed; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; Kosher salt; Freshly ground black or white pepper; 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste; 3 teaspoons (12 g) unsalted butter, divided (see note); 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) curry-flavored Nigerian stock; 2 cups (400 g) converted long-grain rice (sometimes sold as parboiled rice) or Golden Sella basmati, rinsed; 1 plum or Roma tomato (about 4 ounces; 120 g), halved then sliced thinly crosswise into half-moons

1 For the Stew Base: In a blender jar, combine tomatoes, red pepper, onion, Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, and stock. Blend on high speed (in batches if needed) until a smooth purée, about 2 minutes. This will yield just shy of 5 cups (1.18L).

2 In a 3-quart saucier or saucepan, add blended vegetable base and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, cover partially. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to avoid scorching, until reduced by half (roughly about 2 1/2 cups; 590 ml), about 30 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

3 For the Jollof Rice: In a 4- or 5-quart pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of onion, bay leaves, curry powder, dried thyme, a large pinch of salt, and a large pinch of black or white pepper. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is fragrant and onion softens slightly, about 3 minutes.

4 Stir in tomato paste and 2 teaspoons butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until tomato paste darkens, about 3 minutes. Stir in reserved stew base and cook over medium-low heat to maintain a gentle simmer, covered partially, until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.

5 Stir in stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. The curry powder should come through pleasantly but not be overpowering; whisk in more curry powder to taste if desired.

6 Stir in rice until evenly coated in sauce. Cover pot with a double piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper, crimped down around the edges to seal pot tightly, then top with lid. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover pot and gently stir rice to redistribute. Cover again and continue to cook until rice is just cooked through but grains still retain a firm bite and the liquid is mostly absorbed, about 15 minutes longer. If rice is undercooked and/or still wet, cover and cook 5 minutes longer.

7 Stir in sliced tomato along with remaining sliced onion and remaining 1 teaspoon butter; cook uncovered until butter is fully melted, then stir briefly to combine.

8 Cover with the lid, and here's where you "party." Turn the heat to high; the rice will begin to pop and crackle. Cook until it smells nutty and toasted, 1 to 4 minutes, check the bottom with a wooden spoon for a golden color. Remove from the heat, and let it stand, covered for about 10 minutes.

9 Carefully uncover and remove and discard the bay leaves. Fluff with a fork, scraping up toasted rice from the bottom to combine. Serve.