Rice and Pasta Pilaf with Golden Raisins and Almonds
By Andrew JanjigianPublished on March 5, 2014
Time
1½ hours
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish
Ingredients
1 ½ cups basmati rice or long-grain white rice½ cup golden raisins 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces1 onion, grated1 garlic clove, minced2 ½ cups chicken broth 1 ¼ teaspoons salt 2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon ground cardamom ½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped coarse3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Before You Begin
Use long, straight vermicelli or vermicelli nests.
Instructions
- Place rice in medium bowl and cover with hot tap water by 2 inches; let stand for 15 minutes. Place raisins in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand until plump, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Using your hands, gently swish grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water to rice and pour off water. Repeat adding and pouring off water 4 to 5 times, until water runs almost clear. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add broth, salt, bay leaves, and cardamom and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, remove lid, fold dish towel in half, and place over pan; replace lid. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork; discard bay leaves; stir in almonds, raisins, and parsley; and serve.
Time
1½ hoursYield
Serves 4 to 6 as a side dishIngredients
1 ½ cups basmati rice or long-grain white rice
½ cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 ½ cups basmati rice or long-grain white rice
½ cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Ingredients
1 ½ cups basmati rice or long-grain white rice
½ cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 onion, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
2 ½ cups chicken broth
1 ¼ teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
½ cup slivered almonds, toasted and chopped coarse
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Why This Recipe Works
This elegant version of rice pilaf combines rice with pieces of vermicelli that have been toasted in fat to add richness and a nutty flavor. In order to produce a rice pilaf with rice as perfectly cooked as the pasta, we had to get the rice and pasta to cook at the same rate. Soaking the rice in hot water for a mere 10 minutes softened its outer coating and let it absorb water quickly. Once the pasta and rice are cooked, we let the pilaf stand for 10 minutes with a towel under the lid to absorb steam. Then we fluff it with a fork and stir in fresh herbs.
Before You Begin
Use long, straight vermicelli or vermicelli nests.
Instructions
- Place rice in medium bowl and cover with hot tap water by 2 inches; let stand for 15 minutes. Place raisins in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand until plump, about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Using your hands, gently swish grains to release excess starch. Carefully pour off water, leaving rice in bowl. Add cold tap water to rice and pour off water. Repeat adding and pouring off water 4 to 5 times, until water runs almost clear. Drain rice in fine-mesh strainer.
- Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 3 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges of rice begin to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add broth, salt, bay leaves, and cardamom and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Off heat, remove lid, fold dish towel in half, and place over pan; replace lid. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff rice with fork; discard bay leaves; stir in almonds, raisins, and parsley; and serve.
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