Genius Rice

The folks at Milk Street Kitchen are geniuses.  That is the only explanation for this fantastic dish.  It is true that an internet search for similar recipes will certainly turn up others, and they may all be good.  Who knows?   I might even be inspired to try one.  It will have to compete with the one I got from these folks though.

I am a bit of a lame cook while I am not providing food for others.  All sorts of stripped down versions of food end up being dinner and not many are worthy of repeating.  However, I try to generate at least one decent meal that involves several components each week.  This recipe stems from this effort.

I confess I was literally moaning.   The rice dish was that good.  If that isn't enough inspiration, then picture a dish of rice with so many colors and textures and flavors that the remaining meal seemed an afterthought.  All this in the spirit of testing a recipe that would be used at a future book club!  It's what I would call a win-win.

Persian Jeweled Rice

serves 4

Adapted slightly from Milk Street Kitchen 

1 t saffron threads

4T salted butter

2 medium yellow onions, diced in 1cm pieces

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 c basmati rice, rinsed and drained

2 t ground cumin

1 3/4 t ground cardamom

2 carrots, peeled and shredded on a box shredder (about 1 c)

1 c dried cranberries

1 t grated orange zest (see note)

1/2 c chopped unsalted pistachios

Combine saffron with 2 2/3c water and microwave until water is yellow, approx 1 min. 

In a medium to large skillet, melt the butter, add onions at 2t salt, stirring, until softened and light golden brown.  Add rice, spices and 1 t salt and 1/2t pepper.  Cook until rice is lightly browned, stirring.  

Add the water, carrots, and cranberries.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, and cover.  Until rice is absorbed and tender, approx 20 min.     

Fluff the rice and add the orange zest and 1/2 of the pistachios.  Correct seasoning, and garnish with remaining pistachios.  

Note:  this could easily be vegan if the butter were switched out for oil.  I used easily twice the amount of carrots, and will keep doing this.  I only had orange sweetened cranberries, so used a bit less and skipped the orange zest.  This was fine.  

**  If you serve this with broccoli and baked salmon, it might cause you to moan, so do so at your own risk.