Photo: Rice Pilaf Recipe
Directions
Excerpted from Alton Brown's book, Good Eats (Stewart, Tabori & Chang)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt plus 2 pinches
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- 1 pinch saffron, steeped in 1/4 cup hot but not boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1-by-2-inch strip orange zest
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1/4 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped
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.
Per serving: Calories: 248; Total Fat: 5 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 7 grams; Total carbohydrates: 45 grams; Sugar: 5 grams; Fiber: 1.5 grams; Cholesterol: 5 milligrams; Sodium: 524 milligrams
Photograph by Hallie Burton
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By BlossomThyme
Millersville, MD
on July 22, 2012
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I'm so glad I found this recipe. Alton, thank you. It was delicious. I didn't have orange peel, so I substituted with some lemon peel granules. I also added a few shakes of garam masala. I didn't have red pepper, so I substituted it with zuchinni. I loved it! I can see potential for making variations. And the best thing I learned was the paper towel/oven method. Thank you for that tip!!! I saw my family getting seconds, and that is always a good sign. I used regular long-grain, I will try next time with basmati long grain for a nuttier taste. Hugs and kisses.
By zaplinger
Elgin, IL
on April 14, 2012
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I just made a turkey dinner for my family and wanted to avoid having the same old "Thanksgiving" dinner. I located this recipe online and thought it was a perfect alternative to mashed potatoes and turnkey gravy. Everyone loved it. I used jasmine rice because I love the flavor of the rice, and I left out the saffron and pistachios because I had none. It was still the hit of the menu, second only to Ina's "Perfect Roast Turkey." I will be using this recipe and variations of it regularly in the future. Thanks, Alton, for another spectacular menu item!
By bradpow1030
Harlem
on January 07, 2012
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I followed this recipe exactly and the rice cooked perfectly and looked beautiful. I think the pistachios and raisins were particularly nice touches in the finished dish.
So, why not give this recipe 5 stars? Because the pilaf only tastes "pretty good" and you spend a lot in time and ingredients for that to be the result... That's just my opinion.
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