Prepare a Plate of Arroz Amarillo

One look at a mound of arroz amarillo, and I always anticipate something incredibly savory with a flavor to match its intense color. Unfortunately my fantasies of an ultra-flavorful rice are usually shattered in one bite by mushy, bland, one-dimensional rice that tastes of nothing more than MSG laden "sazón."

In the original Spanish dish, saffron is used to give the rice its characteristic hue, but because it wasn't available in the New World, achiote was substituted for the saffron as the dish made its way across the Atlantic. While achiote has a similar golden hue, it's almost flavorless and doesn't contribute much to the rice.

That's why I like to take the dish back to its roots and use a blend of saffron and turmeric. The combination yields a ridiculously vibrant yellow, while both spices contribute their own unique flavors to the rice. Turmeric gives the rice an earthy flavor with hints of warm spices like ginger, while the saffron imbues a sweet floral taste with a savory aroma vaguely reminiscent of shellfish.

Aside from the spices, some good chicken stock and onions are all you need to make this stunning side that tastes as good as it looks.

Because yellow rice is usually served as an accompaniment to another dish, like picadillo, I don't add any salt (beyond what's already in the chicken stock). If you plan on eating this by itself, you may want to season it with some salt.