Rice Pilaf Chef John Food

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Toast 1/2 cup broken spaghetti in a saucepan with butter, 2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion and cook 1 minute. Add 1 cup basmati rice and a pinch each of allspice and salt; cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Add 2 cups chicken broth; cover and simmer, 15 minutes. Cook 1/2 cup each sliced almonds and dates in butter, then stir into the rice. Season with salt and top with chopped parsley.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in saucepan and cook onion over medium heat until golden. Stir in rice and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat down to low. Simmer gently for 20 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork and stir in parsley.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Melt the butter in a 3-quart saucier over medium heat.
• Stir in the onion, bell pepper and 2 pinches of salt.
• Decrease the heat to low and sweat until the onion is translucent and aromatic but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until you smell nuts, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the saffron and its water, the broth, orange zest, bay leaves and the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
• OK, now the weird part: Thoroughly wet a clean towel, kill the heat, scatter the peas on top of the rice, then place the towel across the top of the saucier. Top with the lid, then fold the towel corners up over the lid.
• Transfer the saucier (towel and all) to the oven and bake 15 minutes.
• Remove and rest at room temperature for 15 more minutes without opening the lid.
• Fish out the orange zest and bay leaves. Turn the pilaf out onto a platter, fluff with a large fork and garnish with the raisins and pistachios. Serve family-style, right in the middle of the table.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt the butter with the shallot in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Season with the salt and pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir until coated with the butter. Increase the heat to medium-high. Let the rice cook until toasted, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more.
• Stir in the broth, bay leaf, and rosemary. Bring to a simmer over low heat, cover, and cook until all the broth has been absorbed by the rice and the rice is tender, about 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let set for 5 minutes. Discard the rosemary and bay leaf. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve.
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CHICKEN RICE-A-RONI®

Steps:

• Place chicken, celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaf in a stockpot and cover with water. Set over high heat, add salt, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the thighs and legs can be pulled easily from the carcass, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove chicken to a bowl, carefully tipping the carcass to drain any broth from the cavity back into the stockpot.
• Let meat sit until it's cool enough to handle, 15 to 20 minutes. Separate skin, bones, and meat. Set aside 2 cups shredded meat (white, dark, or a combination of the two) for rice-a-roni and reserve the rest for another use.
• Transfer skin and bones back to the stockpot with the broth and simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until you need it. Strain.
• Combine oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot and melted, add onion, bell pepper, and salt. Cook and stir until onion just starts to turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add broken spaghetti and cook until toasted and light golden brown to dark brown in color, about 3 minutes; it's okay if the onions and peppers start to caramelize.
• Add rice and stir until completely coated. Add pepper, oregano, cumin, and saffron. Stir in 3 ½ cups chicken broth. Add cayenne, garbanzo beans, peas, and shredded chicken and return to a simmer.
• Cover tightly with a lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 15 minutes; do not lift the lid or stir during this time.
• Remove the lid and check the rice in a couple spots. It should be just barely tender. (If it seems undercooked, you can cover and cook for a few more minutes.) Replace the lid, turn off the heat, and let rice sit for 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle parsley and cilantro over top and stir to combine. Check for seasoning and serve immediately.

RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 2 qt. saucepan over high heat.
• Saute' onion and green pepper until tender crisp.
• Add rice; cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Add water and chicken bouillon; bring to a boil.
• Stir once.
• Reduce heat to low.
• Stir once.
• Cover and cook for 15 minutes.
• Don't look!
• Remove from heat and uncover.
• Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve hot.

PERSIAN RICE

Steps:

• Bring water and kosher salt to a boil in a pot; add rice and cook, stirring, for exactly 7 minutes. Drain.
• Heat olive oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Cover bottom of pot with 1 layer of potato slices. Sprinkle cumin and salt over potatoes. Cook until potatoes are sizzling, 2 to 3 minutes; top potatoes with rice to form an even layer. Reduce heat to low and place butter slices over rice.
• Top pot with a layer of clean paper towels and place lid over towels. Steam until rice is fluffy, about 45 minutes.
• Grind saffron threads with a mortar and pestle. Mix crushed saffron with 1 1/2 tablespoons hot water in a large bowl. Add a couple spoonfuls of rice to saffron mixture and stir until rice is yellow.
• Spoon remaining rice into a serving bowl, top with saffron rice, and line edges of bowl with potatoes. Garnish with parsley.

CLASSIC RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt butter and olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until onion is lightly browned, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Combine rice and onion mixture in a 9x13-inch casserole dish placed on a baking sheet. Stir thoroughly to coat the rice.
• Combine chicken stock, salt, saffron, and cayenne pepper in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Pour chicken stock mixture over rice in the casserole dish and stir to combine. Spread mixture evenly along the bottom of the pan. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove foil and fluff with a fork to separate the grains of rice.