First let’s start by telling you what concón is. Concón is the crust of rice formed at the bottom of the pot when you cook rice Dominican-style, but if you are not Dominican, and have never lived in the Dominican Republic, you will probably not understand the passion that Dominicans feel for concón. My suggestion is that you try it, you could be surprised.

What makes a concón perfect?
It is perfectly crunchy.
It is a thin film.
It is not burnt.

How do you achieve the perfect concón?

Start with the pot:
Use the correct cooking pot. Preferably cast iron or cast aluminum. You also need the perfect size, a pot that is too small will tend to burn the rice at the bottom. For a perfect concón the rice should not occupy more than 3/4 of the pot (better yet if it is only half).

First you need to quick-cure your pot. To do this add vegetable oil (the one used for frying) and cover the bottom of the pot with it. Add salt. Heat oil until it is hot enough for frying, then add water at room temperature. That will seal the pores in the pot creating a Teflon-like film.

Follow with the right proportions:
To get a good concón you need to make good rice. It should be firm but chewable. To achieve this you will need to get the right proportion between rice and water. Too much water will ruin your rice, too little and the concón will burn. In our rice recipes we give you the proportions we use, however overtime you may need to adjust the proportions to the type of rice you use, the stove you use and the pot you have. The perfect rice can rarely be achieved at the first try.

Keep an eye on your rice:
You will need to stir the rice very often to prevent the rice at the bottom to overcook and eventually burn. Every time you stir it make sure to remove the film that is forming at the bottom, concón has to be produced in the last stage of cooking, if you leave a film of rice to stick to the bottom too early it will be too thick and will burn.

The final stage:
When the water has evaporated and it is time to cover the rice do so promptly. Pour two tablespoons of oil (optional) and stir again removing the film at the bottom. Cover with a tight-fitting lid.

After 10 to 15 minutes (depending on how much rice you are cooking) repeat the process above, but leave a thin coat of rice at the bottom. Once the rice is ready (firm and chewable) put the rice in the serving bowl immediately. If you leave the rice too long the concón will get soggy. After you serve the rice wait a couple of minutes for the concón to cool down a bit and settle. Remove with a spoon and serve alongside your rice. Don’t be mortified by the noise, it’s a big chorus in the Dominican Republic at lunch time.

For rice recipes visit our Recipe section.

And for you people who panic;because you think your pot has been ruined with that rice stick to the bottom...just pour enough water to cover the crust; a drop of detergent and put it on the stove to simmer. In a few minutes all the concon will be soft and your pot will be reusable again.

I know this is some sort of heresy, but I have to admit that the best concón I've made I used basmati rice. There will soon be gangs of Dominicans and Indians (from India, that is) carrying torches and pitchforks banging at my door.