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1
If making coconut milk from scratch, grate the flesh of one mature coconut. Squeeze through a cloth with warm water for the thick first press; repeat with more warm water for the thin second press. Combine both presses. The milk should be visibly opaque and faintly sweet.
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2
Drain the soaked kidney beans and place them in a heavy pot with the coconut milk, crushed garlic, and thyme. Add enough water so the beans are fully submerged. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook until the beans are completely tender and the liquid has taken on a rich, coconut-fragrant colour — press one bean between two fingers; it should yield without resistance.
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3
Add the whole scotch bonnet pepper to the pot. Season the liquid with salt. This is where the dish lives or dies: measure the remaining bean liquid and adjust so you have one part liquid to one-and-a-half parts rice. Too little liquid and the rice will scorch before it cooks through; too much and the final texture will be waterlogged. Add the rice directly into the pot, stirring once to combine, and do not disturb it again.
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4
Cover the pot tightly and cook over the lowest possible heat until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is fully cooked through. Remove the lid; the surface should show no standing liquid and the rice grains should be distinct. Lift the scotch bonnet pepper out whole and discard before serving.
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5
Remove the thyme sprigs. Taste for salt and adjust. Fluff gently with a fork — the beans should be distributed throughout the rice, the grains carrying a faint creaminess and coconut fragrance.