Rice and Peas

The night before, soak the kidney beans in plenty of cold water for at least 8 hours.

Drain the soaked beans, put them in a large heavy pot with the 1.2 litres of fresh cold water and bring to a hard boil for 10 minutes. Then lower the heat and simmer, partly covered, for 45 to 60 minutes until the beans are tender but still whole. Top up with boiling water if the level drops below the beans.

Drain the beans in a sieve over a heatproof jug, keeping all the cooking liquid, and measure it. You want 500 ml of it, deep pink and slightly thickened; make it up with water or boil it down if you have too much. That liquid is what colours the rice, so do not pour it away.

Return the beans and their 500 ml of liquid to the pot and add the coconut milk, the spring onions, left whole, the garlic, lightly crushed, the thyme, the allspice berries, the coconut oil, if using, the salt and a few grinds of pepper. Bring to a simmer and taste the liquid: it should be noticeably salty and taste of coconut.

Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear, then stir it in and level it. Lay the whole scotch bonnet on the surface. Handle it by the stalk and do not let a knife or spoon near it: intact it gives a fruity, floral scent, and split it will make the whole pot too hot for most people to eat.

Bring back to a simmer, cover tightly and cook over the lowest heat for 25 minutes. Do not lift the lid or stir; the rice needs the trapped steam and stirring turns it sticky.

Check that the liquid has gone and the rice is tender. Lift the chilli out whole, along with the thyme stalks and spring onions, then leave the pot covered off the heat for 10 minutes.

Fork the rice up gently from the edges inwards so the beans stay whole, and serve.