Persian Jewelled Rice Food

DAVID TANIS'S PERSIAN JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse the rice several times in cold water until the water runs clear. Drain. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil in a large pot with 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Add the rinsed rice and boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, then drain well in a colander.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, season lightly with salt and cook until softened and lightly colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Moisten with 1 tablespoon saffron water and stir in the cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, black pepper and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more. Stir in the apricots, raisins (or currants) and barberries (or cherries or cranberries).
• Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy-bottomed enamel or nonstick Dutch oven over medium heat. Spread half the par-cooked rice over the bottom of the pot. Spoon over the onion-fruit mixture, then the remaining rice. Leave the pot on the flame, uncovered, for 5 to 8 minutes to gently brown the rice. (Do not stir or move the rice - you will need to rely on your nose to tell if the rice has browned.)
• Drizzle the remaining saffron water over the rice and put on the lid. Adjust the heat to very low and leave undisturbed for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rest at least 10 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat and gently toast the almonds and pistachios for a minute or so, taking care not to get them too brown. Set aside for garnish.
• To serve, spoon the rice into a wide bowl or platter. With a spatula, carefully lift the bottom crust, placing the crisp side up. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

PERSIAN JEWELED RICE

Steps:

• Rinse basmati rice until water runs clear. Place in a bowl, cover with water and add 1 tablespoon salt. Allow to soak for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Using a mortar and pestle, grind together saffron and sugar. Combine with a scant 1/3 cup boiling water, and set aside to steep. Bring a stockpot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Drain rice and add to pot; cook exactly 6 minutes, then drain into fine-meshed colander.
• Place a round Dutch oven or other wide pan with a lid over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter and vegetable oil. When butter has melted, add potato slices in a single layer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spread potatoes evenly with a layer of rice about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle 1 cup barberries in stages over rice. Continue to add rice in smaller and smaller layers, sprinkling barberries between each layer, to make a pyramid of rice with no berries on top.
• Using the handle of a round wooden spoon, poke 3 holes into top of rice until spoon touches potato layer. Combine melted butter with saffron mixture, and pour all over rice. Cover underside of pot lid with a large dry cotton kitchen towel. Place on pan, making sure no ends dangle near source of heat.
• Cook rice mixture over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to low. Cook 40 to 45 minutes. To serve, spoon rice onto a heated serving platter. Top with rows of almonds, pistachios, candied orange zest and remaining 1/2 cup barberries. Arrange potatoes from bottom of pan in another dish, and serve alongside rice.

JEWELLED PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat, add oil, onion, almonds, pistachios, saffron and cardamom pods.
• Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often until nuts turn golden, and saffron and onion are fragrant.
• Add rice, cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat with oil.
• Add stock, sultanas and a pinch of salt.
• Cover with a lid and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, until stock is absorbed and rice is tender, adding a splash more water if necessary.
• Allow to stand covered for 10 minutes.
• Stir through pomegranate seeds and coriander leaves.
• Spoon rice onto a large platter.

JEWELLED RICE

Steps:

• Melt butter and ½ tbsp oil in small saucepan, then fry cardamom, bay and cinnamon for 2 mins. Stir in rice to toast for 1 min, then cover with 200ml water. Bring to the boil, cover, then turn heat down and simmer for 5 mins. Stir in barberries, if using, and cook for 5 mins more. Mix saffron with a small splash of boiling water. Once almost all the water has been absorbed by the rice, scatter saffron on top. Cover again, turn off the heat and sit for 5 mins.
• Meanwhile, fry cumin seeds, onions and some salt in the remaining oil until golden and beginning to crisp - this will take around 15 mins. Then spread onions on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
• To serve, remove whole spices if you like, and scatter the onions on top.

STUNNING JAVAHER POLOW - PERSIAN JEWELLED RICE

Steps:

• Cut the rind of the oranges in long strips, avoid the white pith.
• Peel a large carrot and continue to peel the flesh to obtain long, flat carrot strips. You can also use a very flat knife with a very steady hand or a mandoline.
• Julienne the orange strips - cut sideways into tiny sticks. These will stand out on the rice like tiny orange jewels. You could also cut them in diamond shapes - that would be in the dish's spirit.
• In a small saucepan combine the orange rind with 3 cups water and bring to a boil. Strain. This step helps getting rid of the rind's bitterness.
• Combine one cup sugar with one cup water (picture), bring to a boil and add both orange rind and carrot strips. Boil gently for 10 minutes, strain and reserve. This process partially candies the orange and carrot.
• Jeweled rice called has to be made with the magical spice mix called advieh. For this recope, make it fresh by grinding the cinnamon, cumin seeds, dried rosebuds & green cardamom pods (seeds only - remove the husk).
• Wash the rice in twice its volume in water, wash and strain. Do this as many times as needed for the water to be totally transparent.
• Boil the rice in salted water until it softens but remains slightly crunchy, 9-12 minutes. Stir to ensure grains are fully separated, strain and reserve.
• Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large pan with a tight fitting lid. This is important as it will prevent the rice crust from sticking - add more rather than less. Mix 4 tbsp of the partly boiled rice with 1 tbsp yoghurt and a drop of saffron water. Spread this mixture in a layer at the bottom. It will turn into a delicious golden crust, the hallmark of Persian rice dishes.
• Cover the rice-yoghurt layer with two ladles of rice and add a fourth of the orange-carrot strips. Sprinkle some advieh (the spice mix) on top, and add another layer of rice and continue like before until you run out of ingredients. Try to shape the rice into a hill inside the pan so it will have room to expand.
• Add a generous amount of advieh on top and pour the rest of the melted butter and saffron water and half a cup water. Cover tightly, possibly using a towel wrapped all around the top of the pot to prevent any leakage. Cook over low heat for about 45 minutes.
• While the rice finishes cooking, prepare the garnish.
• Soak 1 cup barberries and half a cup raisins into 2 cups warm water for 20 minutes. Thinly slice an onion and gently fry it in 2 tbs/25 gr butter until soft and brown.
• Add the strained barberries and raisins and cook for one more minute. Reserve.
• On a baking tray place the almonds and, if you want, the pistachios. Toast for about 10-15 minutes at 180°C while watching them continually. Nuts are easily overtoasted! Alternatively, you can gently fry them in a non-stick pan with a little oil or no oil.
• Prepare a large serving platter, if possible of Persian or at least Arab origin. Carefully pile the rice in a nicely shaped mound and garnish with the Berberis/pomegranite -raisin-onion mixture and nuts.
• Scatter a few rose petals over the top & serve.
• Note: A good deal of what makes this dish royal is its presentation. Be careful when laying the berberis on top and take some time to make a nice ring of nuts all around the rice. The rice at the bottom of the pot will form a delicious golden crust, crunchy and flavored with saffron. This is the part Persians all desire, they call it tah-dig. Scrape it and serve one piece on each plate.