The Cuban content creator Lia, known on Instagram as @en_casa_con_lia, has won over thousands of followers with her unique and delicious version of the traditional imperial rice, an iconic dish of Cuban cuisine.
In a recent video, Lia shows step by step how she prepares her recipe “her way,” and it has certainly caused a stir due to its originality and burst of flavor.
Instead of sticking to the classic layers of yellow rice, shredded chicken, mayonnaise, and melted cheese, the Cuban chef decided to take the dish to another level.
Their imperial rice features four layers, alternating rice with a generous layer of mayonnaise, and also includes ropa vieja made with beef, pork, chicken, and ground ham.
Lia explains that she cooks the rice using the broth that results from tenderizing the meats, which adds a deep and authentic flavor. To achieve the characteristic yellow tone, she recommends using food coloring. In this dish, curry or saffron should not be used, as they completely alter the original flavor of the Cuban imperial rice.
Although Lia omits the cheese, an ingredient that is typically considered essential in this recipe, she clarifies that those who prefer it can add it in each layer or at the end for gratin, tailoring the dish to their taste.
The result is a generous, juicy, and visually irresistible imperial rice dish that has sparked enthusiastic comments among its followers: "What a delight!", "This is insane", "I need to live near your house", are some of the reactions to the post.
Lia shows that Cuban cuisine is more vibrant than ever on social media and that there is always room for creativity, even in the most traditional dishes.
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