Jamaican rice & peas

The Jamaican Sunday favourite – it is the thyme and coconut that define this excellent side dish. The ‘peas’ are kidney beans and canned are fine. Scotch bonnet is good too, if you can bear it. They give a wonderful, butter-peppered heat. I had my first Scotch bonnet served this way at a Jamaican pal’s home, and I will never forget that first hit. Many tries it took, to get close to recreating that first rice and peas buzz. This recipe, for me, nails that pesky dragon.