I once knew an Italian chef who catered a Cuban wedding. My friend didn’t know anything about Cuban food, and his clients knew nothing about Italian food. Risotto was one of his specialties, and he assured the parents of the bride that it was an elegant rice dish and the perfect choice for their expensive wedding.
On the day of the wedding he served the risotto dish, cooked to order of course, lovingly adding minute amounts of homemade broth, knobs of butter and shavings of cheese to achieve the perfect rich and creamy consistency. The guests were outraged. What was this bizarre, gluey porridge?
Cubans, like Indians and Persians, pride themselves on their version of rice pilaf: fluffy rice dishes in which every grain of rice is separate, distinct, toothsome and buttery. Rice pilaf, which is Persian in origin but exists in almost every cuisine, starts with long grain rice like basmati (crucially lower in starch than short grain or other varieties). The raw rice is usually coated in the fat used to sautee onions, then broth or water or a mixture of both is added. The rice is simmered in the liquid, then allowed to sit off the heat, covered, to absorb the liquid.
The basic rice pilaf can adapted to the flavor profiles of any cuisine: It can be made with garlic, paprika, chorizo and annatto oil (Cuban), with saffron, cardamom, cinnamon, dried rosebuds, orange peel and raisins (Persian jeweled rice), with cumin and chipotle powder (Southwestern), or with cinnamon sticks, cloves, cardamom pods, fennel seeds, chiles and fenugreek (Indian).
I like the all-purpose recipe at left, which is delicious with roast chicken or fish and gets a little crunch from peas, carrots and toasted almonds.
John Broening cooks at Duo restaurant, .
Saffron Rice Pilaf
Makes 6-8 servings.
Ingredients
2 cups basmati rice
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
Pinch saffron threads
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 bay leaf
3 cups water
Optional:
1 cup Birdseye mixture (frozen carrots and peas)
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Directions
Place the rice in a fine strainer and rinse well. Drain.
If using the Birdseye mixture, defrost 1 cup.
In a small saute pan over high heat, toast the fennel seeds until they begin to change color. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the fennel seeds to a plate.
In a heavy-bottomed 2 quart pot, heat the butter and oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, toss to coat with the butter and oil and sweat until soft but not colored, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat for about 30 seconds.
Add the rice and stir well to coat with fat for about two minutes. Be careful not to brown the rice. Add the peppercorns, saffron, cayenne pepper, salt and bay leaf and stir well, about 1 minute.
Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately cover the pot and turn down the heat to low. Cook about 8 minutes.
Turn off the heat and let the rice sit covered for about 5 minutes.
While the rice is resting, toast the almonds, if using: In a small saute pan over high heat, toast the almonds, tossing every 30 seconds until they begin to change color. Immediately transfer to a plate to stop the cooking.
Remove the lid from the rice. Gently, using a fork and being careful not to bruise the rice, fold in the fennel seeds and add additional salt and cayenne pepper as needed. Fold in the Birdseye mixture and almonds, if using. Serve immediately.
