Jeweled rice

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2½ cup (500 grams) basmati or other fragrant long grain rice
1 teaspoon Salt
Finely pared peel \"zest\" of 2 large oranges, shredded or julienned
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
⅓ cup (50-75 g) dried pitted sour cherries (up to 1/2)
⅓ cup Dried barberries or cranberries (up to 1/2)
5 tablespoons Sunflower oil (up to 6)
¼ teaspoon Saffron (I don't have)
1 cup (100g) split blanched almonds or mixed almonds and pistachios
2 Jullienned dried apricots (up to 3)

Directions

This recipe is adapted (less salt) from "The Book of Jewish Food", somewhere I have a similar recipe from Sunset Magazine, will look for you.

Wash the rice, then soak in cold water for 1 hour.

Make candied peel by boiling peel in small pan in generous amount of water for 30 min. to remove bitterness. Drain, return to pan with ⅓ cup(80 ml) water, and sugar and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Soak the sour cherries and cranberries in water to cover for about 20 min.

Bring 9 cups (2 liters) of water to boil (salted to taste), in a large saucepan. Pour the drained rice slowly into boiling water, let come to boil again, and cook rapidly at boil for 8 minutes (still a bit firm) Drain the rice well.

Pour oil into bottom of the (washed) rice pan. Stirr in saffron, add the rice, drained peel, drained dry fruit, nuts, and stir very well. Saffron color and oil should be distributed evenly (I use a few drops or yellow color and a touch of turmeric). Put the lid on tightly, steam on lowest heat for 20 minutes or until tender. (I usemy electric rice cooker for this last part!) Alternate method is to bake in tightly covered casserole at 350 deg. f (150 deg C) for 30 minutes.

I believe this is traditionally topped with roast chicken. Tonight, will garnish the platter with kumquats fresh from my tree.

Posted to JEWISH-FOOD digest V97 #040 by MGB/PhatWolf <DonutDolly@...> on Feb 05, 1997.

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