2000s Recipes + Menus

Annatto Oil

Makes3/4 cup
  • Active time:5 min
  • Start to finish:15 min
September 2007
Common in Latin American cooking, this orange oil infuses dishes with instant depth and quite often with their signature golden color. We’ve made three times the amount you’ll need for the yellow rice with pigeon peas because annatto oil is also called for in our recipes for arroz con pollo and Ecuadoran potato cakes with peanut sauce.
  • 2 tablespoons annatto (achiote) seeds
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • Heat annatto seeds and oil in a very small saucepan over low heat, swirling pan frequently, until oil is bright red-orange and begins to simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.
  • Strain annatto oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds.
Cooks’ note: Annatto oil keeps, covered and chilled, indefinitely.

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